Aspirin 75mg Gastro-Resistant Tablets 56s

Always take this medicine exactly as described in the leaflet or as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

This medicine should be swallowed whole with a drink of water, do not cut, crush or chew the tablets.

Do not take any medications for indigestion either immediately before or after taking this medicine.

Adults, elderly and children over 16 years:

Take one or two tablets once daily.

The usual dose for long-term management of cardiovascular disease (disease affecting the blood supply to the heart)
or cerebrovascular disease (disease affecting the blood supply to the brain) or following by-pass surgery is 1 to 2 tablets, once a day. In some circumstances a higher dose may be appropriate, especially in the short term, and up to 4 tablets daily may
be used on the advice of a doctor.

Caution is required in elderly patients who are more prone to adverse events. Treatment should be reviewed at regular intervals.

Do not give to children aged under 16 years unless on the advice of doctor. There is a possible association between aspirin and
Reye’s syndrome when given to children. Reye’s syndrome is a very rare disease, which can be fatal. 

DO NOT EXCEED THE STATED DOSE.

• Do NOT drink alcohol whilst taking this medicine. Drinking alcohol may possibly increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and prolong bleeding time.
• Pregnant women should not take aspirin during pregnancy unless advised by their doctor.
• You should not take Aspirin tablets if you are in the last 3 months of pregnancy, unless you are advised to do so by your doctor and then the daily dose should not exceed 100mg. Regular or high doses of this medicinal product during late pregnancy can cause serious complications in the mother or baby.
• Breastfeeding women should not take Aspirin unless advised by their doctor.
• Aspirin 75mg Gastro-Resistant Tablets contains lactose. Lactose is a type of sugar. If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicinal product.
• You must immediately seek medical advice, if your symptoms get worse or if you experience severe or unexpected side effects e.g. unusual bleeding symptoms, serious skin reactions or any other sign of serious allergy.
• Inform your doctor if you are planning to have an operation (even a minor one, such as tooth extraction) since Aspirin is bloodthinning there may be an increased risk of bleeding.
• You should take care not to become dehydrated (you may feel thirsty with a dry mouth) since the use of Aspirin at the same time may result in deterioration of kidney function.
• This medicinal product is not suitable as a pain killer or fever reducer.
• Aspirin may cause Reye's syndrome when given to children. Reye's syndrome is a very rare disease which affects the brain and liver and can be life threatening. For this reason, Aspirin tablets should not be given to children aged under 16 years, unless on the advice of a doctor.

Do not take Aspirin 75mg Gastro-Resistant Tablets:

• If you are allergic to any of the ingredients of this medicine.
• If you are allergic to other salicylates or non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs are often used for arthritis or rheumatism and pain.
• If you have had an asthma attack or swelling of some parts of the body e.g. face, lips, throat or tongue (angioedema) after taking salicylates or NSAIDs.
• If you have, or ever had, an ulcer in your stomach or intestine.
• If you have, or ever had, a bleed in your stomach or intestines (you may have been sick and it contained blood or dark particles that looked like coffee grounds and/or passed blood in your stools or passed black tarry stools).
• If you have had other types of bleeding like a stroke.
• If you have a blood clotting disorder (e.g. haemophilia or thrombocytopenia) or are taking medicines to thin your blood.
• If you have gout.
• If you have severe kidney or liver problems.
• If you are in your last 3 months of pregnancy; you must not use higher doses than 100mg per day.
• If you are taking a medicine called methotrexate (e.g. for cancer or rheumatoid arthritis) in doses higher than 15mg per week.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Aspirin 75mg Gastro-Resistant Tablets:

• If you are asthmatic, have hay fever, nasal polyps or other chronic respiratory diseases; aspirin may induce asthma attack.
• If you have other kidney, liver or heart problems.
• If you have high blood pressure (your doctor may want to monitor you closely).
• If you are dehydrated.
• If you have a condition called glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency.
• If you are elderly (your doctor may want to monitor you closely).
• If you have or have ever had problems with your stomach or small intestine.
• If you have heavy menstrual periods.
• If you have ever had gout.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines, particularly the following. The effects of treatment may be influenced if aspirin is taken at the same time as other medicines for:

• Thinning of the blood/ prevention of clots (e.g. warfarin, heparin, phenindione and clopidogrel).
• Medicines for depression (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as sertraline or paroxetine).
• Methotrexate (for cancer, skin problems, rheumatic problems, Crohn's disease).
• Ciclosporin or tacrolimus (given after transplant surgery, or psoriasis or rheumatism).
• Other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, like ibuprofen (to relieve pain, reduce swollen joints, muscles and ligaments)
• Use as hormone replacement therapy when the adrenal glands or pituitary gland have been destroyed or removed, or to treat inflammation, including rheumatic diseases and inflammation of the intestines (corticosteroids).
• Phenytoin and sodium valproate (for epilepsy).
• Medicines for diabetes, such as glibenclamide, glipizide (sulphonylureas) or insulin.
• Medicines used to treat high blood pressure like ACE inhibitors (e.g. ramipril, captopril).
• Water tablets (diuretics e.g. spironolactone and acetazolamide).
• Probenecid and sulfinpyrazone (for gout).
• Lithium (for severe mental problems).
• Medicines for heart problems (e.g. digoxin).
• Acetazolamide (for glaucoma).
• Metamizole (substance to decrease pain and fever) may reduce the effect of acetylsalicylic acid on platelet aggregation (blood cells sticking together and forming a blood clot), when taken concomitantly. Therefore, this combination should be used with caution in patients taking low dose aspirin for cardioprotection.