Aspirin

Synonyms: 2-acetyloxybenzoic acid
acetylsalicylate
acetylsalicylic acid
O-acetylsalicylic acid
It is an analgesic or an antipyretic drug which relieves pain or it is used for fever and it is an anti-inflammatory medication. Aspirin is given to heart patients after heart attacks so that it reduces the second heart attack to occur. The main undesirable side effects of aspirin are gastrointestinal ulcers, stomach bleeding, and tinnitus, especially in higher doses. In children and adolescents, aspirin is no longer used to control flu-like symptoms or the symptoms of chickenpox or other viral illnesses, due to the risk of Reye’s syndrome. Today, aspirin is one of the most widely used medications in the world, with an estimated 40,000 metric tons of it being consumed each year.
Aspirin is one of the most frequently used drugs in the treatment of mild to moderate pain, including that of migraines and fever. It is often combined with other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and opioid analgesics in the treatment of moderate to severe pain.
In high doses, aspirin and other salicylates are used in the treatment of rheumatic fever, rheumatic arthritis, and other inflammatory joint conditions. In lower doses, aspirin (or its equivalents, e.g., carbasalate calcium) also inhibits platelet aggregation, and has been shown to reduce the incidence of transient ischemic attacks and unstable angina in men, and can be used prophylactically. It is also used in the treatment of pericarditis, coronary artery disease, and acute myocardial infarction.Low doses of aspirin are also recommended for the prevention of stroke, and myocardial infarction in patients with diagnosed cardiovascular disease. It is of no value in people without proven heart disease.
Aspirin has been used to treat pain and arthritis in veterinary medicine, primarily in dogs, although it is often not recommended for this purpose, as there are newer medications available with fewer side effects in these animals. Dogs, for example, are particularly susceptible to the gastrointestinal side effects associated with salicylates. Horses have also been given aspirin for pain relief, although it is not commonly used due to its relatively short-lived analgesic effects. Horses are also fairly sensitive to the gastrointestinal side effects. Nevertheless, it has shown promise in its use as an anticoagulant, mostly in cases of laminitis.Aspirin should only be used in animals under the direct supervision of a veterinarian. Aspirin should never be given to cats because they lack the ability to form glucuronide conjugates, which makes it more likely that aspirin will be toxic. Toxicity may be reduced by administering dosages at longer intervals.
Aspirin is known to cause hemolytic anemia in people who have the genetic disease glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PD), particularly in large doses and depending on the severity of the disease. Use of aspirin during Dengue Fever is not recommended due to increased bleeding tendency. People with kidney disease, hyperuricemia, or gout should not take aspirin because aspirin inhibits the kidneys’ ability to excrete uric acid and thus may exacerbate these conditions. Aspirin should not be given to children or adolescents to control cold or influenza symptoms as this has been linked with Reye’s syndrome.
For adults doses are generally taken four times a day for fever or arthritis, with doses near the maximal daily dose used historically for the treatment of rheumatic fever. Aspirin overdose can be acute or chronic. In acute poisoning, a single large dose is taken; in chronic poisoning, higher than normal doses are taken over a period of time. Acute overdose has a mortality rate of 2%. Chronic overdose is more commonly lethal with a mortality rate of 25%; chronic overdose may be especially severe in children. Aspirin overdose has potentially serious consequences, sometimes leading to significant morbidity and death. Patients with mild intoxication frequently have nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, lethargy, tinnitus, and dizziness. More significant symptoms occur in more severe poisonings and include hyperthermia, tachypnea, respiratory alkalosis, metabolic acidosis, hypokalemia, hypoglycemia, hallucinations, confusion, seizure, cerebral edema, and coma. The most common cause of death following an aspirin overdose is cardiopulmonary arrest usually due to pulmonary edema.
Aspirin, combined with ephedrine and caffeine (commonly referred to as an ECA Stack) can be used by overweight individuals as strong thermogenic.