Some medications should be taken on an empty stomach and others on a full one, while other medications cannot be taken with orange or grapefruit juice. However, milk and aspirin to not interact negatively. In some instances, milk can help to reduce potential stomach irritation caused by uncoated aspirin. Always speak with your physician before taking any medication to ensure you will not experience a drug interaction.
Aspirin Significance
Aspirin belongs to a drug group known as salicylates. Like other salicylates, aspirin helps relieve aches, pains, fevers and inflammatory conditions. Although aspirin is sold over the counter, that doesn’t mean it is safe when taken in any amount. Aspirin has been known to cause internal bleeding in some patients and isn’t appropriate for others, such as nursing mothers or people with liver disease.
Aspirin and Milk
While there are some drinks that aspirin interacts negatively with, milk isn’t one of them. Because aspirin can cause stomach upset and irritation, Drugs.com recommends taking aspirin with milk and/or food. Milk can stimulate your gastric juices so the aspirin will be less likely to irritate your stomach, which can make for a more pleasant experience if you have had stomach upset from aspirin usage in the past.
Aspirin and Alcohol
Although milk won’t cause an interaction with aspirin, you should not drink alcohol while taking aspirin. Alcohol is a blood thinner and so is aspirin. When your blood becomes thinner, even a small cut could make you bleed significantly more than normal. Like aspirin, alcohol also can irritate the gastrointestinal tract, which means you are at an increased risk for internal bleeding. Since this can be a life-threatening occurrence, skip out on mixing alcohol and aspirin.
Side Effects
Every person is different in the reactions they can experience to medications. If you take aspirin and milk and have any of the following symptoms, seek emergency treatment: coughing up blood, severe nausea, hearing difficulties, ear ringing, a fever that lasts longer than three days or bloody, black or tarry stools. If taking aspirin and milk does not reduce your stomach irritation, talk to your physician about alternative medication options to relieve pain and fever.
