What should I bear in mind when taking this medicine?

Aspirin® Complex in granular form is dissolved in a glass of water while stirring, whereby the granules usually do not dissolve completely. The drug can be taken independently of meals. Avoid taking aspirin and alcohol, as it additionally promotes the development of stomach ulcers and can, under certain circumstances, reduce the ability to react.

Aspirin® Complex should not be taken if an allergy to the ingredient acetylsalicylic acid is known. An allergic reaction can also be triggered if the patient is already allergic to other painkillers. In addition, a simultaneous intake of other pain-reducing drugs should be avoided.

A severe hypersensitivity reaction can then occur, which may require immediate medical treatment. In addition, the ingredients of painkillers are often excreted via the kidneys, so that they may be overtaxed in their function as a detoxification organ and kidney failure may develop. Aspirin® Complex should not be taken even if you are being treated with a chemotherapeutic agent such as methotrexate at the same time.

If there is an increased tendency to bleed, treatment with Aspirin® should not be carried out, as the drug also has a blood-thinning effect and thus increases the risk of bleeding that is difficult to stop. If Aspirin® was taken a few days before an upcoming operation, the doctor treating the patient should be consulted again. It should still be avoided if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

There is also a temporary effect of making it more difficult for women to become pregnant. Older patients sometimes react more sensitively to pseudephedrine. Reactions in the form of hallucinations or insomnia are known.

The use of Aspirin® Complex by children under 16 years of age should be discussed in advance with the treating physician. In children with viral infection, the occurrence of Reye’s syndrome, a life-threatening situation, may be triggered. Furthermore, Aspirin® Complex should not be taken in the following cases:

Liver and kidney failure
Heart disease, such as cardiac insufficiency, narrowing of the coronary arteries or severe high blood pressure
Hyperthyroidism ̈berfunktion
Peptic ulcer: Acetylsalicylic acid promotes the production of gastric acid, which is not indicated for an existing peptic ulcer. – Diabetes mellitus
Gout: Acetylsalicylic acid reduces uric acid excretion and can cause a gout attack.

Interactions

Aspirin® Complex can influence its effect when taken at the same time as other medicines. Strengthening effects can occur with: With other drugs, a weakening of the effect occurs when Aspirin® Complex is taken at the same time. This is the case, for example, with drugs used for drainage (diuretics), to lower blood pressure (ß-blockers) and to promote the excretion of uric acid.

This should be considered when taking Aspirin® Complex. – analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs, e.g. cortisone. – anticoagulant drugs: The blood is more diluted.

Active ingredients such as digoxin, which are taken to strengthen the strength of the heart muscle. – blood sugar lowering substances: Patients with diabetes mellitus should take into account that the effects of these drugs are more rapid. It may be necessary to adjust the dose to avoid hypoglycaemia.
Antidepressants. – Tablets for the treatment of epilepsy. – Methotrexate, a chemotherapy drug.

If Aspirin® and alcohol are taken at the same time, undesirable side effects may occur, some of which can be dangerous for the person concerned. In particular, the risk of developing stomach ulcers and gastric bleeding – known side effects of taking Aspirin® – can be further increased by the simultaneous consumption of alcohol. Irritation of the stomach lining, gastric bleeding, and peptic ulcers can be conspicuous by a variety of typical symptoms.

Stomach bleeding is typically accompanied by deep black-coloured stools and bloody or coffee grounds-like vomiting. If the bleeding is very pronounced, there may be considerable blood loss with associated symptoms. Chronic peptic ulcers can lead to changes in the stomach outlet, causing digestive problems and vomiting.

Stinging stomach pains are also typical and occur particularly after eating. Other side effects caused by the combination of Aspirin® Complex and alcohol are, for example, a slower reaction time or tiredness. These side effects lead to problems especially in traffic.

Although it is not allowed to drive while under the influence of alcohol and the package inserts of Aspirin® Complex warn against driving while under the influence of medication, some people still drive. The consequences are traffic accidents with or without personal injury. Limited reactivity caused by Aspirin® Complex and alcohol can also have a negative effect when operating machines, since slow reactions can also quickly lead to injuries.

Especially when it comes to alcohol, one should also be aware that many medications have a liver-damaging effect. However, frequent alcohol consumption also has a damaging effect on the liver, so that the organ can suffer serious damage. It can lead to diseases such as inflammation of the liver (hepatitis) or liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma).

Hepatitis often has a long course and difficult therapies, while liver cancer is often fatal due to its aggressiveness. In general, it is part of a responsible approach to medication that it is not taken at the same time as alcohol. Many women who take the pill wonder whether the contraceptive effect of the pill is reduced by taking other drugs.

Aspirin® does not normally affect the safety of the pill. However, you should be aware of possible hypersensitivity reactions. If side effects such as diarrhoea or vomiting occur as a result of taking Aspirin® Complex, the pill may lose its effect.

This then depends on when the pill was taken. If diarrhoea and vomiting occur more than six hours after taking the pill, the active ingredients have usually already been absorbed into the body’s circulation via the intestines and the pill has a normal effect. If vomiting or diarrhoea occurs within six hours of taking the pill, additional contraceptive methods (e.g. condoms) should be used to avoid an unwanted pregnancy.