What is aspirin and dipyridamole?
Aspirin is in a group of drugs called salicylates (sa-LIS-il-ates). It works by reducing
substances in the body that cause pain, fever, and inflammation.
Dipyridamole keeps platelets in your blood from sticking together to form clots.
The combination of aspirin and dipyridamole is used to reduce the risk of stroke in people
who have had blood clots or a "mini-stroke" (also called a transient ischemic attack or TIA).
Aspirin and dipyridamole may also be used for other purposes not listed in this
medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking aspirin and dipyridamole?
Aspirin should not be given to a child or teenager who has a fever, especially if the
child also has flu symptoms or chicken pox.
Aspirin can cause a serious and
sometimes fatal condition called Reye's syndrome in children.
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to aspirin or dipyridamole (Persantine),
or if you have:
-
asthma;
-
nasal polyps; or
-
a history of allergy to an NSAID (non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drug) such as Advil, Motrin, Aleve, Orudis, Indocin, Lodine, Voltaren,
Toradol, Mobic, Relafen, Feldene, and others.
Before taking aspirin and dipyridamole, tell your doctor if you are
allergic to any drugs, or if you have:
-
a history of stomach ulcers or bleeding;
-
a bleeding disorder such as hemophilia;
-
heart disease, congestive heart failure, or recent heart
attack;
-
liver disease;
-
kidney disease; or
-
low blood pressure.
If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment
or special tests to safely take this medication.
FDA pregnancy category D. This medication can cause harm to an unborn baby.
Do not use aspirin and dipyridamole
without telling your doctor if you are
pregnant. It could harm the unborn baby. Use effective birth control, and tell your doctor if you
become pregnant during treatment.
Aspirin and dipyridamole can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby.
Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
How should I take aspirin and dipyridamole?
Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in
larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on
your prescription label.
Take each dose with a full glass (8 ounces) of water.
You may take aspirin and dipyridamole with or without food.
Do not crush, chew, break, or open an extended-release capsule. Swallow the pill
whole. It is specially made to release medicine slowly in the body. Breaking or opening the pill
would cause too much of the drug to be released at one time.
Taking the combination of aspirin and dipyridamole (Aggrenox) is not equivalent to
taking each of the medications separately. Take only the medication your doctor has prescribed.
If you need to have any type of surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are taking
aspirin. You may need to stop using the medicine for a short time.
Store aspirin and dipyridamole at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
What happens if I miss a dose of aspirin and dipyridamole?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip
the missed dose and wait until your next regularly scheduled dose.
Do not
use
extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
Where can I get more information about aspirin and dipyridamole?
Your pharmacist has information about aspirin and dipyridamole written for health professionals that you may read.
What are the possible side effects of aspirin and dipyridamole?
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these
signs of an allergic
reaction:
hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Stop using this medication and call your doctor at once if you have any of these
serious side effects:
-
weakness or fainting;
-
black, bloody, or tarry stools;
-
coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds;
-
severe nausea, vomiting, or stomach pain;
-
fever lasting longer than 3 days;
-
swelling, or pain lasting longer than 10 days; or
-
hearing problems, ringing in your ears.
Less serious side effects may include:
-
upset stomach, mild heartburn, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea;
-
joint pain;
-
drowsiness; or
-
headache.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell
your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What is the most important information I should know about aspirin and dipyridamole?
Do not
use this medication without telling your doctor if you are
pregnant. It could cause harm to the unborn baby. Use an effective form of birth control, and tell
your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment.
Do not use any other over-the-counter pain medication without first asking your
doctor or pharmacist. Aspirin, salicylates, and NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
are contained in many medicines available over the counter. If you take certain products together
you may accidentally take too much of a certain type of drug. Read the label of any other
medicine you are using to see if it contains aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, ketoprofen, magnesium
and/or choline salicylate.
Aspirin should not be given to a child or teenager who has a fever, especially if the
child also has flu symptoms or chicken pox.
Aspirin can cause a serious and
sometimes fatal condition called Reye's syndrome in children.
Stop using this medication and call your doctor at once if you have any symptoms of
bleeding in your stomach or intestines. Symptoms include weakness or fainting, black, bloody,
or tarry stools, and coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds.
Avoid drinking alcohol while you are taking aspirin and dipyridamole. Alcohol may
increase your risk of stomach bleeding. If you drink more than three alcoholic beverages per day,
do not take aspirin and dipyridamole without your doctor's advice.
What should I avoid while taking aspirin and dipyridamole?
Avoid drinking alcohol while you are taking aspirin. Alcohol may increase your risk
of stomach bleeding.
Do not use any other over-the-counter pain medication without first asking your
doctor or pharmacist. Aspirin, salicylates, and NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
are contained in many medicines available over the counter. If you take certain products together
you may accidentally take too much of a certain type of drug. Read the label of any other
medicine you are using to see if it contains aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, ketoprofen, magnesium
and/or choline salicylate.
What other drugs will affect aspirin and dipyridamole?
Before taking aspirin and dipyridamole, tell your doctor if you are using any of the
following drugs:
-
acetazolamide (Diamox);
-
methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall);
-
diabetes medications that you take by mouth;
-
gout medications such as probenecid (Benemid) or
sulfinpyrazone (Anturane);
-
an ACE inhibitor such as benazepril (Lotensin), captopril
(Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), quinapril (Accupril), ramipril
(Altace), and others;
-
Alzheimer medications such as donepezil (Aricept),
galantamine (Reminyl), or rivastigmine (Exelon);
-
a beta-blocker such as atenolol (Tenormin), carvedilol
(Coreg), esmolol (Brevibloc), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol), propranolol (Inderal, InnoPran),
sotalol (Betapace), timolol (Blocadren), and others;
-
a diuretic (water pill) such as amiloride (Midamor,
Moduretic), furosemide (Lasix), hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ, HydroDiuril, Hyzaar, Lopressor,
Vasoretic, Zestoretic), spironolactone (Aldactazide, Aldactone), triamterene (Dyrenium,
Maxzide, Dyazide), and others;
-
seizure medication such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol,
Tegretol), phenytoin (Dilantin), or phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton); or
-
aspirin or other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), indomethacin (Indocin),
ketoprofen (Orudis), meloxicam (Mobic), nabumetone (Relafen), piroxicam (Feldene), and
others.
This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact
with aspirin and dipyridamole. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter
medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by
other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.
What happens if I have an overdose of aspirin and dipyridamole?
