Aspirin and Related Drugs (NSAIDs).
Last updated Friday, May 11, 2007
Dosage and warningsDosage Arthritis affects people in different ways. For this reason, only
your physician can determine how much aspirin you need to effectively
treat the symptoms of your disease, and how much you can tolerate.
You could make a serious mistake if you tried to figure out your own
dosage schedule. Each person's body handles salicylates differently. A
certain daily dose may be too small for one person, just right for
another, or cause serious toxicity for another.
To determine the best dose of aspirin for you, the doctor may check
your blood level from time to time. He or she may also ask you to be
aware of certain side effects. When the proper dose has been
determined, it must be taken regularly. "Regularly" means at certain
times of the day, every day--not just when you're in pain. A certain
level of aspirin must be maintained in your blood to control swelling,
pain, and stiffness. Therefore, the benefits of aspirin may be lost if
it is not taken as prescribed by your physician.
Different brands of aspirin contain different amounts of the drug in
each tablet. Be sure to check the dosage your doctor has prescribed
with the amount per tablet you are taking. A standard tablet contains 5
grains of aspirin, which is equal to 325 milligrams of the drug.
Aspirin advertised as "arthritis strength" or "extra strength" contains
more aspirin per tablet (usually 500 mg). This is the same amount of
aspirin as if you simply took more tablets of another brand with less
aspirin in each pill.
Many common pain and cold remedies also contain some aspirin. You
should not take one of them in addition to your regular aspirin without
first checking with your doctor. You could be overdosing yourself
without realizing it. Always read the labels of drugs you buy without a
prescription before taking them. Check to see if they contain aspirin
or other salicylates. Warnings Aspirin can be taken safely with many other medications. There are some drugs, however, such as certain ones taken for gout
and diabetes, that should not be taken with aspirin. It is very
important to tell your doctor all the drugs you are taking for any
condition. This includes any medications bought without a prescription
and those prescribed by another doctor.
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