Examples of brand names: Aspro®, Disprin®, Cartia®, Cardiprin®
What is Aspirin?
Aspirin (also known as “acetylsalicylic acid”) was first found in willow bark and was the first modern medicine to come into common usage. Aspirin is also a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (or NSAID – a group of medicines that have pain relieving, (analgesic) anti-inflammatory and fever relieving (antipyretic) properties).
What can it be used for?
Aspirin can be use for relieving pain and fever, and reducing inflammation. Aspirin is also prescribed in low doses to prevent the blood from clotting in people with heart disease.
What are the common side effects?
Side effects are gastrointestinal disorders such as nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting and slight gastrointestinal blood loss (most of these side effects are expected to be temporary and reversible once you stop treatment). Due to its effect on platelets within blood, aspirin may be associated with an increased risk of bleeding.
What are the effects when misused or overused?
Dizziness; Severe ringing in the ears (tinnitus); gastrointestinal bleeding.
Aspro® is a registered trademark of Bayer Consumer Healthcare Australia Disprin® is a registered trademark of Reckitt Benckiser Cartia® is a registered trademark of GlaxoSmithKline Cardiprin® is a registered trademark of Reckitt Benckiser
