My mom gave me one 325 mg aspirin dissolved in a spoon of water and a little sugar as a tot - it was tasty!

I took the typical two 325 mg aspirin for headache thru college and grad school.

Years later I had a cracked rib and was prescribed 800 mg ibufprofen twice daily. The rib pain vanished for the duration (and my swim times improved significantly)! I became a convert to Advil.

Years later I'm older and minimize my painkillers - most of the time I take nothing but coffee. But if sudden brain pain strikes I take either baby aspirin, ibuprofen, or "Headache Relief", a witches' brew sold by many vendors (typically ~250 mg acetaminophen, 250 mg aspirin and caffeine). So I'm hedging my bets!

If I must use something every day then I use baby aspirin (if worried about heart/circulatory issues) or ibuprofen (if worried about pain). When I need to think clearly (most the time) I avoid acetaminophen.

IMHO people overestimate the "gut bleeding" risk from NSAIDS.

Isn't it highly recommended to not give Aspirin to young people because of Reye’s syndrome risks?