Which aspirin is best

The brand of aspirin you take does not matter, but the dosage and the delivery are very different in those two situations. Stephen Kopecky, MD, at the Mayo Clinic recommends daily aspirin to men over 45 and women over 55, if they do not have bleeding problems. As a preventative, most cardiologists recommend an milligram aspirin, which is the dosage given to children and about one-quarter the normal dose for an adult.

But the rules change during a heart attack. You can buy low-dose enteric coated aspirin and low-dose soluble aspirin from pharmacies, shops and supermarkets. If you forget to take a dose of aspirin, take it as soon as you remember. If you don't remember until the following day, skip the missed dose. If you forget doses often, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to remember to take your medicine.

The amount of aspirin that can lead to overdose varies from person to person. Get someone else to drive you or call for an ambulance. Take the aspirin packet or leaflet inside it, plus any remaining medicine, with you. Like all medicines, aspirin can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if the side effects bother you or don't go away:.

It happens rarely, but some people have serious side effects after taking low-dose aspirin. In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction to aspirin. It's generally safe to take low-dose aspirin during pregnancy, as long as your doctor has said it's OK. For more information about how low-dose aspirin can affect you and your baby during pregnancy, read this leaflet on the Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy BUMPS website.

But your doctor may suggest that you take low-dose aspirin while you're breastfeeding if they think the benefits of the medicine outweigh the possible harm. Tell your doctor if you're taking these medicines before you start taking aspirin :.

It's safe to take paracetamol with low-dose aspirin. However, do not take ibuprofen at the same time as low-dose aspirin without talking to your doctor. Aspirin and ibuprofen both belong to the same group of medicines called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs.

If you take them together, it can increase your chances of side effects like stomach irritation. Aspirin may not mix well with quite a lot of complementary and herbal medicines. Aspirin could change the way they work and increase your chances of side effects.

For safety, speak to your pharmacist or doctor before taking any herbal or alternative remedies with aspirin. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal medicines, vitamins or supplements. Aspirin slows the blood's clotting action by making platelets less sticky. Platelets are blood cells that stick together and block cuts and breaks in blood vessels, so they're important in normal health.

But in people at risk of heart attacks and stroke, platelets can stick together inside already narrowed blood vessels to form a clot. The clot can stop blood flowing to the heart or brain and cause a heart attack or stroke. If you take it every day, low-dose aspirin stops platelets clumping together to form unwanted blood clots - and prevents heart attacks and stroke. You may not notice any difference in how you feel after you start taking low-dose aspirin.

This doesn't mean that the medicine isn't working. Carry on taking daily low-dose aspirin even if you feel well, as you'll still be getting the benefits. You'll usually need to take low-dose aspirin for the rest of your life. Low-dose aspirin is generally safe to take for a long time. In fact, it works best if you take it for many months and years.

Occasionally, low-dose aspirin can cause an ulcer in your stomach or gut if you take it for a long time. If you're at risk of getting a stomach ulcer , your doctor may prescribe a medicine to help protect your stomach. But drinking too much alcohol while you're taking aspirin can irritate your stomach.

Low-dose aspirin can occasionally cause ulcers in your stomach or gut, especially if you take it for many years. If you're at risk of getting a stomach ulcer, your doctor can prescribe a medicine to help protect your stomach. But don't take ibuprofen at the same time as low-dose aspirin without talking to your doctor.

The best way to assess your risk level is to talk to your doctor about it. Your doctor can help you weigh the risks and benefits to determine if low dose aspirin therapy is right for you. Health Home Wellness and Prevention. Risks of Low-Dose Aspirin Like most medicines, aspirin has side effects. Factors that make preventive use of aspirin dangerous include: Use of other medications that thin the blood A history of gastrointestinal ulcers, bleeding or gastritis Kidney failure or severe liver disease Bleeding or clotting disorders Is there more harm than benefit?

Aspirin for the secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Aspirin and heart disease. American Heart Association. Zheng SL, et al. Association of aspirin use for primary prevention with cardiovascular events and bleeding events: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abdelaziz HK, et al. Aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular events. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Aspirin for reducing your risk of heart attack and stroke: Know the facts. Food and Drug Administration. Aspirin: Questions and answers. Department of Health and Human Services and U. Department of Agriculture. IBM Micromedex. Lopez-Jimenez F expert opinion.

Mayo Clinic. Aspirin use to prevent cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer: Preventive medication. Kopecky SL expert opinion. Spencer FA, et al. Aspirin in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Solomon DH. Aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease adult. Mayo Clinic; Low-dose aspirin discontinuation and risk of cardiovascular events. Saito Y, et al.

Low-dose aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular events in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Arnett DK, et al. American College of Cardiology. Antiplatelet therapy for coronary stents adult. Can vitamins help prevent a heart attack? Cardiac ablation Infographic: Cardiac Ablation Cardiac amyloidosis — Treatment options Cardiac amyloidosis — What is amyloid and how does it affect the heart Cardiac catheterization Cardioversion Chelation therapy for heart disease: Does it work?

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