Taking aspirin with other medicines and herbal supplements - Brand names: Anadin, Bonjela gel

Cautions with other medicines

Some medicines affect the way aspirin works.

Tell your doctor if you're taking these medicines before you start taking aspirin:

• medicines to prevent blood clots such as clopidogrel, apixaban, edoxaban, dabigatran, rivaroxaban and warfarin – taking them with aspirin might cause bleeding problems
• selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as sertraline, to treat depression
• medicines for pain and swelling (inflammation) such as ibuprofen and prednisolone
• medicines to prevent organ rejection after transplant such as ciclosporin and tacrolimus
• medicines to treat high blood pressure such as furosemide and ramipril
• digoxin, a medicine for heart problems
• lithium, a medicine for mental health problems
• acetazolamide, for glaucoma
• methotrexate, a medicine used to stop the immune system overreacting and sometimes to treat some types of cancer
• diabetes medicines, such as insulin and gliclazide

Taking aspirin and other painkillers

It's safe to take aspirin as a painkiller with paracetamol or codeine.

But do not take aspirin with ibuprofen or naproxen without talking to a doctor. Aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen belong to the same group of medicines called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). If you take them together, aspirin and ibuprofen or naproxen may increase the chance of you getting side effects like stomach ache.

Speak to a pharmacist if you're unsure about dosages and timings when taking aspirin with other painkillers.

Mixing aspirin with herbal remedies or supplements

Aspirin may not mix well with complementary and herbal medicines. It could change the way they work and increase your chance of side effects.