What pain reliever can i take with low dose aspirin

Table of Contents Show

A Little Does a Lot
Prevents Clots From Forming, Growing
Anti-Inflammatory Actions Key
Aspirin Isn’t Right for Everyone
Aspirin uses
Ibuprofen uses

US Pharm. 2018;43(2):11-12.

A Little Does a Lot

Aspirin is one of the oldest, most widely used drugs in the world. Taken for pain relief for over 2,000 years, its active ingredient, salicin, is in the leaves and bark of the willow tree. In 1897, the Bayer company in Germany developed a synthetic version called acetylsalicylic acid and named it aspirin. The regular adult dosage is 650 mg taken every 4 hours when needed to treat pain, inflammation, and fever caused by a variety of ailments. Low-dose aspirin refers to dosages between 81 mg and 325 mg taken every day to prevent heart attacks, strokes, and colon cancer.

Prevents Clots From Forming, Growing

Most heart attacks and strokes happen when a blood clot forms and blocks blood flow in an artery. Under normal circumstances, the body develops a blood clot to stop the loss of blood after an injury. When a blood vessel is damaged, sticky cells called platelets begin to clump together, while proteins in the blood form strands of fibrin. The fibrin creates a net-like structure that holds the forming clot together. Blood clots can form in damaged vessels of the heart or the brain, and these can block blood to the tissue and cause a heart attack or stroke. Aspirin stops clots from forming by preventing the platelets from clumping together.

If you have had a heart attack or stroke, your doctor may prescribe low-dose aspirin to prevent a second event. Low-dose aspirin has been shown to reduce the risk of a first heart attack but has not been definitively proven to reduce the risk of a stroke. Speak with your physician before starting low-dose aspirin for prevention.

Anti-Inflammatory Actions Key

Aspirin is also a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), which means that it reduces inflammation, although it is not a steroid like cortisone or prednisone. Similar to the formation of blood clots, inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury. When an injury occurs, the immune system is activated, and compounds called prostaglandins form in the area surrounding the injury. Prostaglandins increase blood flow to the injury, leading to the redness, heat, and swelling associated with inflammation. Aspirin prevents these prostaglandins from forming, reducing inflammation.

It is aspirin’s anti-inflammatory action that also makes it useful in the prevention of colon cancer and in preeclampsia, a serious condition of pregnancy believed to result from an inflammatory response. Recent research has also found regular aspirin use to be associated with lower rates of breast, prostate, lung, and ovarian cancer.

Aspirin Isn’t Right for Everyone

Even in low doses, aspirin can have significant side effects. The most common ones, occurring in up to 10% of people who take aspirin, are an increased tendency to bleed and stomach upset, including heartburn, nausea, vomiting, or bleeding in the stomach. Other less common side effects include kidney, liver, and nervous system problems.

Although low-dose aspirin is an OTC drug and safe for most people, the FDA recommends that certain individuals not take aspirin in any dose. Those with an allergy to aspirin or salicylates; those with a bleeding disorder such as hemophilia or vitamin K deficiency; and people with uncontrolled high blood pressure, severe liver or kidney disease, or asthma should avoid using aspirin. In addition, aspirin should not be used by someone who is also taking a prescription blood thinner such as warfarin, Pradaxa, or Xarelto, or another OTC NSAID such as naproxen (Aleve) or ibuprofen (Advil).

Before taking any OTC drug on a regular basis, even low-dose aspirin, be sure to talk with your healthcare provider first to find out if it’s right for you. Always ask your pharmacist to check your prescription and other OTC medications for aspirin interactions or incompatibilities. Even supplements such as fish oil and vitamin D can interact with aspirin.

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Introduction

Aspirin and ibuprofen are both used to treat minor pains. Aspirin can also help prevent heart attacks or strokes, and ibuprofen can lower fever. As you may have guessed, it’s possible to have conditions or symptoms that both drugs can treat or prevent. So can you take these drugs together? In short, most people shouldn’t. Here’s why, plus more information on the safe use of these drugs.

Both aspirin and ibuprofen belong to a drug class called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). They have similar side effects, and taking them together increases your risk of these side effects.

Aspirin and ibuprofen can cause stomach bleeding, especially if you take too much. That means taking them together increases your risk. The risk of stomach bleeding from these drugs continues to increase if you:

are older than 60 years
have or have had stomach ulcers or bleeding
take blood thinners or steroids
drink three or more alcoholic beverages per day
take more of either drug than recommended
take either drug for longer than directed

Aspirin or ibuprofen may also cause allergic reactions, with symptoms such as hives, rash, blisters, facial swelling, and wheezing. Taking them together increases this risk as well. If you experience any redness or swelling from aspirin or ibuprofen, contact your doctor.

Both aspirin and ibuprofen may also cause hearing problems. You may notice ringing in your ears or a decrease in your hearing. If you do, you should contact your doctor.

Aspirin uses

You may use aspirin to help treat minor pain. A typical treatment with aspirin is four to eight 81-mg tablets every four hours or one to two 325-mg tablets every four hours. You should never take more than forty-eight 81-mg tablets or twelve 325-mg tablets in 24 hours.

Your doctor may also prescribe aspirin to help prevent a heart attack or stroke. Heart attacks and strokes can be caused by clots in your blood vessels. Aspirin thins your blood and helps prevent the formation of blood clots. So if you’ve had a heart attack or stroke, your doctor may tell you to take aspirin to prevent another one. Sometimes, your doctor will start you on aspirin if you have several risk factors for a stroke or heart attack. A typical treatment for prevention is one 81-mg tablet of aspirin per day.

You can also take aspirin to help prevent colon cancer. Your doctor can tell you how much is right for you for this type of prevention.

Ibuprofen uses

Ibuprofen can treat minor pain, such as:

headaches
tooth pain
back pain
menstrual cramps
muscle pain
pain from arthritis

It can also help lower fever. A typical treatment is one to two 200-mg tablets every four to six hours. You should try to take the lowest amount possible. Never take more than six tablets of ibuprofen in one day.

To avoid serious side effects, you probably shouldn’t take ibuprofen and aspirin together. However, if you feel the need to take both, talk to your doctor first. If your doctor decides that it’s safe for you to take both drugs at the same time, keep an eye out for symptoms of stomach bleeding. If you notice any symptoms, stop taking aspirin and ibuprofen and contact your doctor.