Aspirin

General Information and Indications:

Aspirin is used to relieve mild to moderate pain; reduce fever, redness, and swelling; and to help prevent blood from clotting. It is used to relieve discomfort caused by numerous medical problems, including headache, infections, and arthritis. It is also used to reduce the risk of a second heart attack or stroke. Larger doses of aspirin are used to treat gout.

Information For Users:

Aspirin comes as a regular, coated, extended-release (long-acting), chewable, and effervescent tablet; capsule; and gum to take by mouth and a suppository to use rectally. Aspirin is often taken without a prescription. If your doctor prescribes aspirin for you, you will receive specific directions for how often you should take it. Follow the directions on the package or prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take aspirin exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your health care provider.

Do not break, crush, or chew extended-release tablets and do not open extended-release capsules; swallow them whole.

If regular aspirin tablets cause a bad taste or aftertaste or burning in the throat, try taking coated tablets to avoid these problems.

Regular, coated, and extended-release aspirin tablets and capsules should be swallowed with a full glass of water or milk or after meals to avoid stomach upset.

Chewable aspirin tablets may be chewed, crushed, dissolved in a liquid, or swallowed whole; drink a full glass of water, milk, or fruit juice immediately after taking these tablets.

An oral liquid form of aspirin can be prepared by dissolving effervescent tablets (Alka-Seltzer) according to the directions on the package.

To insert an aspirin suppository into the rectum, follow these steps:

o Remove the wrapper.
o Dip the tip of the suppository in water.
o Lie down on your left side and raise your right knee to your chest. (A left-handed person should lie on the right side and raise the left knee.)
o Using your finger, insert the suppository into the rectum, about 1/2 to 1 inch in infants and children and 1 inch in adults. Hold it in place for a few moments.
o Do not stand up for at least 15 minutes. Then wash your hands thoroughly and resume your normal activities.

Adults should not take aspirin for pain for more than 10 days (5 days for children) without talking to a doctor. Aspirin should not be taken by adults or children for high fever, fever lasting longer than 3 days, or recurrent fever unless under a doctor's supervision. Do not give more than five doses to a child in a 24-hour period unless directed to do so by a doctor.

Special precautions:

o Inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have allergy to aspirin, other arthritis or pain medications (e.g., ibuprofen), tartrazine dye, or any other medications.
o Inform your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially acetazolamide (Diamox); anticoagulants ('blood thinners') such as warfarin (Coumadin); corticosteroids such as cortisone (Cortone), dexamethasone (Decadron), hydrocortisone (Cortef), or prednisone (Deltasone); medications for diabetes, gout, or high blood pressure; methotrexate; nizatidine (Azid); valproic acid (Depakene, Depakote); and vitamins.
o inform your doctor if you are breast-feeding anemia, diabetes, hemophilia or other bleeding problems, a history of ulcers, asthma, kidney or liver disease, gout, Hodgkin's disease, or a history of nasal polyps.
o Inform your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking aspirin, call your doctor. Aspirin and other salicylates should not be taken during the last 3 months of pregnancy or while breast-feeding.
o if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, Inform your doctor or dentist that you are taking aspirin. Your doctor may tell you to stop taking aspirin 1 week before surgery.
o if you drink 3 or more alcohol drinks every day, ask your doctor if you should take aspirin. You should not drink alcoholic beverages while taking aspirin.

To prevent stomach upset, take aspirin with meals, a full glass of water, or milk.

Possible Adverse Effects:

Though adverse effects of aspirin are not common, they could occur. Inform your doctor if any of the following symptoms are severe or do not go away:

o upset stomach
o vomiting
o stomach pain

If you have any of the following symptoms, call your doctor without delay:

o ringing in the ears
o loss of hearing
o bloody or black stools
o wheezing
o difficulty breathing
o dizziness
o mental confusion
o drowsiness
o skin rash

Brand Name(s):

o Adprin B® Tri-Buffered Caplets®
o Alka-Seltzer® Effervescent Pain Reliever and Antacid
o Alka-Seltzer® Extra Strength Effervescent Pain Reliever and Antacid
o Alka-Seltzer® Flavored Effervescent Pain Reliever and Antacid
o Ascriptin® Arthritis Pain Caplets®
o Ascriptin® Enteric Adult Low Strength
o Ascriptin® Enteric Regular Strength
o Ascriptin® Maximum Extra Strength Caplets®
o Ascriptin® Regular Strength
o Aspergum®
o Bayer ® Aspirin with Calcium Regimen Caplets®
o Bayer® Aspirin Arthritis Pain Regimen Extra Strength Caplets®
o Bayer® Aspirin Caplets®
o Bayer® Aspirin Extra Strength Caplets®
o Bayer® Aspirin Extra Strength Gelcaps®
o Bayer® Aspirin Extra Strength Tablets
o Bayer® Aspirin Gelcaps®
o Bayer® Aspirin Plus Buffered Extra Strength Caplets®
o Bayer® Aspirin Regimen Adult Low Strength
o Bayer® Aspirin Regimen Children’s Chewable
o Bayer® Aspirin Regimen Regular Strength Caplets®
o Bayer® Aspirin Tablets
o Bufferin® Arthritis Strength Caplets®
o Bufferin® Enteric Low Dose Caplets®
o Bufferin® Extra Strength
o Bufferin® Tablets
o Darvon® Compound Pulvules®
o Easprin®
o Ecotrin®
o Ecotrin® Adult Low Strength
o Ecotrin® Maximum Strength
o Endodan®
o Excedrin® Extra-Strength Caplets®
o Excedrin® Extra-Strength Geltabs
o Excedrin® Extra-Strength Tablets
o Excedrin® Migraine Caplets®
o Excedrin® Migraine Geltabs
o Excedrin® Migraine Tablets
o Gelpirin®
o Genacote®
o Genacote® Maximum Strength
o Goody’s® Body Pain Powders
o Goody’s® Extra Strength Headache Powders
o Goody’s® Extra Strength Tablets
o Halfprin®
o Magnaprin® Arthritis Strength
o Magnaprin® Improved
o Norwich® Aspirin
o Norwich® Aspirin Maximum Strength
o PC-CAP®
o Percodan®
o Percodan®-Demi
o Roxiprin®
o St. Joseph® Aspirin Adult Chewable®
o Supac®
o Sureprin®
o Talwin® Compound Caplets®
o Vanquish® Caplets®
o ZORprin®

Other Name(s):

o Aggrenox® containing Aspirin and Dipyridamole
o Alka-Seltzer® Plus Cold & Sinus Medicine Effervescent containing Aspirin and Phenylpropanolamine Bitartrate
o Anacin® Caplets® containing Aspirin and Caffeine
o Anacin® Maximum Strength containing Aspirin and Caffeine
o Anacin® Tablets containing Aspirin and Caffeine
o BC® Powder Arthritis Strength containing Aspirin, Caffeine, and Salicylamide
o BC® Powder containing Aspirin, Caffeine, and Salicylamide
o Butalbital Compound® containing Aspirin, Butalbital, and Caffeine
o Cope® containing Aspirin and Caffeine
o Damcontaining Aspirin and Hydrocodone Bitartrate
o Equagesic® containing Aspirin and Meprobamate
o Fiorinal® containing Aspirin, Butalbital, and Caffeine
o Fiorinal® with Codeine containing Aspirin, Butalbital, Caffeine, and Codeine Phosphate
o Fiortal® containing Aspirin, Butalbital, and Caffeine
o Fortabs® containing Aspirin, Butalbital, and Caffeine
o Micrainin® containing Aspirin and Meprobamate
o P-A-C® Analgesic containing Aspirin and Caffeine
o Stanback® Powder containing Aspirin, Caffeine, and Salicylamide
o Synalgos®-DC containing Aspirin, Caffeine, and Dihydrocodeine Bitartrate