Aspirin Oral tablet Health Article

Generic name(s):

Aspirin Oral tablet

Brand name(s):

Acuprin 81, Arthritis Pain, Ascriptin Enteric, Aspergum Cherry, Aspergum Orginal, Aspir 81, Aspir-Low, Aspirin Adult Low Strength, Aspirin Child Chewable, Aspirin Children's Cherry, Aspirin Children's Orange, Aspirin EC Lo-Dose, Aspirin Enteric Coated, Aspirin Lite Coat, Aspirin Low Strength, Aspirin, Extended Release, Aspirin-Antacid, Aspirtab, Bayer Aspirin, Bayer Aspirin Regimen, Bayer Aspirin Sugar Free, Bayer Aspirin with Calcium, Bayer Childrens Aspirin, Bayer Low Strength, Bayer Plus, Buffered Aspirin, Bufferin, Bufferin Arthritis Strength, Bufferin Extra Strength, Buffex, Easprin, Ecotrin, Ecotrin Adult Low Strength, Ecotrin Maximum Strength, Empirin, Entaprin, Entercote, Extra Strength Bayer, Fasprin, Genacote, Gennin-FC, Genprin, Halfprin, Litecoat Aspirin, Low Dose ASA, Minitabs, Norwich Aspirin, Sloprin, St. Joseph Aspirin, St. Joseph Aspirin Adult Chewable, St. Joseph Aspirin Adult EC, Stanback Analgesic, Therapy Bayer, Tri-Buffered Aspirin, YSP Aspirin, Zero-Order Release, Zorprin

What is this medicine?

ASPIRIN (AS pir in) is a pain reliever. It is used to treat mild pain and fever. This medicine is also used as directed by a doctor to prevent and to treat heart attacks, to prevent strokes, and to treat arthritis or inflammation.

This medicine may be used for other purposes; ask your health care provider or pharmacist if you have questions.

What should I tell my health care provider before I take this medicine?

They need to know if you have any of these conditions:

• anemia
• asthma
• bleeding problems
• child with chickenpox, the flu, or other viral infection
• diabetes
• gout
• if you frequently drink alcohol containing drinks
• kidney disease
• liver disease
• low level of vitamin K
• lupus
• smoke tobacco
• stomach ulcers or other problems
• an unusual or allergic reaction to aspirin, tartrazine dye, other medicines, dyes, or preservatives
• pregnant or trying to get pregnant
• breast-feeding

How should I use this medicine?

Take this medicine by mouth with a glass of water. Follow the directions on the package or prescription label. You can take this medicine with or without food. If it upsets your stomach, take it with food. Do not take your medicine more often than directed.

Talk to your pediatrician regarding the use of this medicine in children. While this drug may be prescribed for children as young as 12 years of age for selected conditions, precautions do apply. Children and teenagers should not use this medicine to treat chicken pox or flu symptoms unless directed by a doctor.

Patients over 65 years old may have a stronger reaction and need a smaller dose.

What if I miss a dose?

If you are taking this medicine on a regular schedule and miss a dose, take it as soon as you can. If it is almost time for your next dose, take only that dose. Do not take double or extra doses.

What may interact with this medicine?

Do not take this medicine with any of the following medications:

• cidofovir
• ketorolac
• probenecid

This medicine may also interact with the following medications:

• alcohol
• alendronate
• bismuth subsalicylate
• flavocoxid
• herbal supplements like feverfew, garlic, ginger, ginkgo biloba, horse chestnut
• medicines for diabetes or glaucoma like acetazolamide, methazolamide
• medicines for gout
• medicines that treat or prevent blood clots like enoxaparin, heparin, ticlopidine, warfarin
• other aspirin and aspirin-like medicines
• NSAIDs, medicines for pain and inflammation, like ibuprofen or naproxen
• pemetrexed
• sulfinpyrazone
• varicella live vaccine

What should I watch for while using this medicine?

If you are treating yourself for pain, tell your doctor or health care professional if the pain lasts more than 10 days, if it gets worse, or if there is a new or different kind of pain. Tell your doctor if you see redness or swelling. Also, check with your doctor if you have a fever that lasts for more than 3 days. Only take this medicine to prevent heart attacks or blood clotting if prescribed by your doctor or health care professional.

Do not take aspirin or aspirin-like medicines with this medicine. Too much aspirin can be dangerous. Always read the labels carefully.

This medicine can irritate your stomach or cause bleeding problems. Do not smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol while taking this medicine. Do not lie down for 30 minutes after taking this medicine to prevent irritation to your throat.

If you are scheduled for any medical or dental procedure, tell your healthcare provider that you are taking this medicine. You may need to stop taking this medicine before the procedure.