This site is intended for healthcare professionals

CPD
CPD
Pro
Pro
Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Go to /pro/cpd-dashboard page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. CPD dashboard

Go to /account/subscription-details page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. Upgrade to Pro

Gastrointestinal side-effects

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

There are upper and lower gastrointestinal side-effects of aspirin:

Upper gastrointestinal side effects include:

  • heartburn
  • stomach pain
  • nausea

The incidence of these side-effects is increased by:

  • increasing dose of aspirin
  • plain aspirin rather than enteric coated aspirin
  • a high frequency of doses e.g. > 1 dose per day

The risk of a serious gastrointestinal bleed requiring hospitalisation or causing death is higher in those taking aspirin regularly.

A notable lower gastrointestinal side-effect is constipation:

  • there is a 3-4 fold increase in constipation (up to 7% in patients receiving 1.2 g of aspirin per day)
  • there is no clear dose-dependency

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.