What is this medication for?
Aspirin (also called acetylsalicylic acid or ASA) belongs to the groups of medications called analgesics (pain relievers), antipyretics (fever reducers), anti-inflammatories (inflammation reducers), and platelet aggregation inhibitors (anti-clotting agents). It works to relieve pain caused by conditions such as headaches, rheumatoid arthritis, and muscle pain and to reduce fever caused by infection.
Unlike acetaminophen, which is also a pain reliever and fever reducer, acetylsalicylic acid also reduces inflammation caused by various conditions. Aspirin also prevents blood from clotting as easily as usual. This action helps aspirin to reduce the risk of blood clots, which can lead to heart attack and stroke in people who are at higher risk (e.g., people who have already had a heart attack or stroke, people with a condition known as unstable angina, people who have had "mini-strokes" or transient ischemic attacks, also known as TIAs). It is also used to prevent blood clots for people who have had a hip replacement.
Your doctor may have suggested this medication for conditions other than those listed here. As well, some forms of this medication may not be used for all of the conditions discussed here. If you have not discussed this with your doctor or are not sure why you are taking this medication, speak to your doctor. Do not give this medication to anyone else, even if they have the same symptoms as you do. It can be harmful for people to take this medication if their doctor has not prescribed it. Do not stop taking this medication without consulting your doctor.
What form(s) does this medication come in?
Aspirin is available in many different dosage forms.
Aspirin Tablets, 325 mg: Each white tablet, with "BAYER"
crossing "BAYER" on both sides, contains aspirin 325 mg. Nonmedicinal
ingredients: cornstarch, FD&C Blue No. 2, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose,
potassium sorbate, titanium dioxide, triacetin, and xanthan gum. This medication
does not contain alcohol, lactose, paraben, sodium, sulfite, or tartrazine.
Aspirin Caplets, 325 mg: Each white, capsule-shaped tablet (caplet),
with "BAYER" on one side and a score on the other, contains aspirin 325 mg.
Nonmedicinal ingredients: cornstarch, FD&C Blue No. 2, hydroxypropyl
methylcellulose, potassium sorbate, titanium dioxide, triacetin, and xanthan
gum. This medication does not contain alcohol, lactose, paraben, sodium, sulfite,
or tartrazine.
Aspirin Extra Strength Tablets, 500 mg: Each white tablet, with
"BAYER" crossing "BAYER" in red ink on one side, contains
aspirin 500 mg. Nonmedicinal ingredients: cornstarch, D&C Red No.
7, FD&C Blue No. 2, FD&C Red No. 40, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose,
titanium dioxide, and triacetin. This medication does not contain alcohol, lactose,
paraben, sodium, sulfite, or tartrazine.
Aspirin with Stomach Guard 325 mg tablets: Each round, white,
film-coated tablet, with "BAYER PLUS" in blue ink on one side, contains
aspirin 325 mg, calcium carbonate 160 mg, magnesium carbonate 34 mg,
and magnesium oxide 63 mg. Nonmedicinal ingredients: acacia, carnauba
wax, cornstarch, croscarmellose sodium, FD&C Blue No. 2, hydrogenated vegetable
oil, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose,
polysorbate 80, polyvinylpyrrolidone, propylene glycol, silicon dioxide, sodium
lauryl sulfate, talc, titanium dioxide, and triacetin. This medication does
not contain lactose, paraben, sulfite, or tartrazine.
Aspirin with Stomach Guard Extra Strength 500 mg Caplets: Each
white, film-coated caplet, with "BAYER PLUS" over "500"
on one side in blue ink, contains aspirin 500 mg, calcium carbonate 246.2 mg,
magnesium carbonate 52.3 mg, and magnesium oxide 96.9 mg. Nonmedicinal
ingredients: acacia, carnauba wax, cornstarch, croscarmellose sodium, FD&C
Blue No. 2, hydrogenated vegetable oil, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, magnesium
stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, polysorbate 80, polyvinylpyrrolidone,
propylene glycol, silicon dioxide, sodium lauryl sulfate, talc, titanium dioxide,
and triacetin. This medication does not contain lactose, paraben, sulfite, or
tartrazine.
Coated Aspirin Caplets, 325 mg: Each pale-yellow, enteric coated
caplet, with "BAYER 325" in brown ink on one side, contains aspirin 325 mg.
Nonmedicinal ingredients: carnauba wax, cornstarch, D&C Yellow No.
10, FD&C Yellow No. 6, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, methacrylic acid copolymer,
polysorbate 80, potassium hydroxide, sodium lauryl sulfate, synthetic black
and brown oxides, titanium dioxide, and triacetin. This medication does not
contain alcohol, lactose, paraben, sulfite, or tartrazine.
Coated Aspirin Extra Strength Caplets, 500 mg: Each pale-yellow,
enteric coated caplet, with "BAYER 500" in brown ink on one side,
contains aspirin 500 mg. Nonmedicinal ingredients: carnauba wax, cornstarch,
D&C Yellow No. 10, FD&C Yellow No. 6, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose,
methacrylic acid copolymer, polysorbate 80, potassium hydroxide, sodium lauryl
sulfate, synthetic black and brown oxides, titanium dioxide, and triacetin.
This medication does not contain alcohol, lactose, paraben, sulfite, or tartrazine.
Coated Aspirin Arthritis Pain Relief Caplets, 650 mg: Each orange,
enteric coated caplet, marked "B" on one side, contains aspirin 650 mg.
Nonmedicinal ingredients: colloidal silicon dioxide, cornstarch, FD&C
Yellow No. 6, gelatin, lactose, maltodextrin, methacrylic acid copolymer, polethylene
glycol, sodium hydroxide, sodium lauryl sulfate, talc, titanium dioxide, and
triethyl citrate. This medication does not contain alcohol, lactose, paraben,
sulfite, or tartrazine.
Children's Size Aspirin: Each peach-coloured tablet, with an orange
taste, with "BAYER" crossing "BAYER" on one side and "ASPIRIN"
in a semicircle on the other, contains aspirin 80 mg. Nonmedicinal ingredients:
cornstarch, dextrose, FD&C Yellow No. 6, orange flavour, and sodium cyclamate.
This medication does not contain alcohol, lactose, paraben, sulfite, or tartrazine.
Coated Aspirin Daily Low Dose Tablets, 81 mg: Each pale blue, enteric
coated tablet, with "81" in dark blue ink on one side, contains aspirin
81 mg. Nonmedicinal ingredients: carnauba wax, cornstarch, croscarmellose
sodium, FD&C Blue No. 1, FD&C Blue No. 2, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose,
lactose, methacrylic acid copolymer, microcrystalline cellulose, polysorbate
80, propylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfate, titanium dioxide, and triacetin.
This medication does not contain alcohol, paraben, sulfite, or tartrazine.
Some medications may have other generic brands available. Always ask your doctor or pharmacist about the safety of switching between brands of the same medication.
How should I use this medication?
The recommended dose of aspirin for adults varies widely according to the particular
condition being treated. For treatment of pain or fever in adults, the recommended
dose is 325 mg to 650 mg four to six times daily as necessary. This
medication should not be used by children, teenagers, or young adults who have
chickenpox or influenza
because of the risk of getting a serious disease called Reye's
syndrome. Reye's syndrome can cause serious brain and liver damage. However,
if recommended by a doctor in other circumstances, the recommended dose is 10 mg
to 15 mg per kg of body weight every four to six hours as needed to a maximum
of 2400 mg in one day.
For adults suffering from diseases caused by inflammation such as rheumatoid
arthritis, the recommended dose is 2400 mg to 3600 mg daily taken
in divided doses on a regular basis. Because aspirin often causes stomach irritation
and upset, the tablets used for treating chronic diseases are enteric-coated.
This special coating prevents the tablet from dissolving until it has passed
the stomach and moved into the intestine.
The dose of aspirin used to prevent blood clotting ranges from 80 mg daily
to 1500 mg daily in one to four doses for prevention of heart attack, and
to 1300 mg daily in two to four divided doses for prevention of transient
ischemic attacks (TIAs). For prevention of blood clotting in blood vessels
used for heart bypass surgery,
the recommended dose of aspirin is 100 mg to 975 mg daily.
Many things can affect the dose of medication that a person needs, such as
body weight, other medical conditions, and other medications. If your doctor
has recommended a dose different from the ones listed here, do not change the
way you are taking the medication without talking to your doctor. Always take
aspirin exactly as prescribed by your doctor.
Except for the enteric-coated products, aspirin tablets should be taken
with food to prevent stomach upset. This medicine is generally used as needed
for pain or fever, except in the case of inflammatory conditions and some other
chronic conditions, when it is often taken on a regular basis in order to keep
pain and inflammation under control. In these circumstances, if you miss a dose
of this medicine and you remember within an hour or so of the missed dose, take
it as soon as you remember. However, if you do not remember until it is almost
time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing
schedule. Do not double doses.
When used for self-medication of pain, aspirin should not be used for longer than
10 days by adults unless advised by a doctor. When used for fever, aspirin should
not be used for fever greater than 39.5°C (103°F) or for longer than
three days unless advised by a doctor.
Store aspirin medications at room temperature and protect from moisture and light.
Do not take aspirin products if they have a strong, vinegar smell to them. This
means the medicine is breaking down.