Low-dose aspirin makes blood less likely to clot. It is taken to prevent a second heart attack or stroke — not as a general precaution for everyone.
- Generic name
- Acetylsalicylic acid
- Active ingredient
- Acetylsalicylic acid
- Common brands in India
- Ecosprin, Loprin, Delisprin, Aspicot
- Available as
- Tablet, Enteric-coated tablet
- Common strengths
- 75 mg, 150 mg, 325 mg for pain rather than clot prevention
- How it is sold
- Prescription only — needs a doctor's prescription
No dosage information on this page
The correct dose depends on your age, weight, kidney and liver function, other medicines and medical history. Follow the dose your doctor prescribed, or the instructions on the pack. Never copy a dose from a website or from someone else's prescription.
What Aspirin (Low Dose) is used for
- Preventing another heart attack or stroke in someone who has already had one
- After a stent, bypass or other heart procedure
- In some people at high risk of heart disease, where a doctor judges the benefit to outweigh the bleeding risk
- At higher amounts, occasionally as a painkiller — though other medicines are usually preferred
How it works
Platelets are the blood cells that clump together to seal a wound. Aspirin makes them less sticky, so clots are less likely to form inside a narrowed artery and block it. That is exactly what causes most heart attacks and many strokes.
How to take Aspirin (Low Dose)
- Take it with or just after food, with a full glass of water.
- Swallow enteric-coated tablets whole — the coating exists to protect the stomach lining, and crushing it defeats the purpose.
- Take it at the same time each day, and keep taking it. Its protective effect depends on being continuous.
- Tell any doctor or dentist that you take it before any procedure or surgery — but do not stop it yourself first.
Precautions
- Tell your doctor about stomach ulcers, acidity, or any bleeding problem before starting.
- Expect bruising more easily and bleeding for longer from small cuts. That is the medicine working, but heavy or unexplained bleeding needs review.
- Avoid taking anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen alongside it unless your doctor has said so — together they raise the stomach bleeding risk considerably.
- Tell your doctor if you have asthma, as a minority of people with asthma react badly to aspirin.
- Alcohol adds to the stomach irritation.
Common side effects
Not everyone gets side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these are troublesome or do not settle.
- Stomach irritation, acidity or discomfort
- Easy bruising
- Bleeding for longer than usual from small cuts
- Nausea
- Indigestion
Important warnings
- Do not start low-dose aspirin on your own as a general precaution. For people who have never had a heart attack or stroke, the bleeding risk can outweigh the benefit, and guidance has moved away from routine use. Whether it suits you is a decision for a doctor who knows your history.
- Never give aspirin to a child or teenager with a viral illness such as flu or chickenpox. It is linked to Reye's syndrome, a rare but serious condition affecting the brain and liver.
- Avoid aspirin if dengue is suspected. It increases bleeding risk, and dengue already lowers platelets. Paracetamol is the painkiller used in dengue.
- Black or tarry stools, vomiting blood, or sudden severe headache or weakness need emergency assessment — these can signal serious bleeding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I take aspirin daily to prevent a heart attack?
Not unless a doctor has told you to. For someone who has already had a heart attack or stroke, daily low-dose aspirin clearly helps. For someone who has not, the picture is different — the reduction in heart risk can be cancelled out by the increase in bleeding risk, and major guidelines have stepped back from recommending it routinely. This is a decision to make with a doctor, not from a news article.
Can I stop aspirin before surgery or dental work?
Tell the surgeon or dentist that you take it and let them decide with your doctor. Stopping it on your own can be dangerous, particularly if you have a stent, because the clot it was preventing may then form.
Can children take aspirin?
No, not for ordinary fevers or viral illness. Aspirin in children and teenagers with a viral infection is linked to Reye's syndrome, which is rare but serious. Paracetamol is what is used for fever in children.
What are the side effects of low-dose aspirin?
Stomach irritation and acidity are the common ones, along with easier bruising and longer bleeding from small cuts. The serious risk is bleeding, in the stomach or elsewhere, which is why it is prescribed rather than taken casually.
What this costs, and what is free
Commonly available free at government hospitals and health and wellness centres when prescribed there.
Generic versions are sold at Jan Aushadhi Kendras at substantially lower prices than branded packs of the same medicine.
The same molecule is sold under many brand names at very different prices. Ask your doctor to write the generic name, and compare at a Jan Aushadhi Kendra — the saving on a medicine taken daily is often substantial over a year. You can look up any medicine's official ceiling price on NPPA's Pharma Sahi Daam app.
Source: Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA)
Prices and scheme rules change. Confirm current details with the hospital or Kendra before you rely on them.
Looking for Aspirin (Low Dose) locally?Aswini Medicals is a pharmacy that stocks everyday medicines and can advise on availability.
Visit Aswini Medicals