Talk with Your Pharmacist
The next time you reach for an over-the-counter product to treat your upset stomach or heartburn, consider whether you should choose one of the many antacids that don’t contain aspirin. Aspirin-containing medicines that treat heartburn, sour stomach, acid indigestion or upset stomach can cause stomach or intestinal bleeding, especially in some people, warns the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Take a close look at the Drug Facts label, and if the product contains aspirin, consider choosing something else for your stomach symptoms, the FDA advises. Examples are Alka-Seltzer or other effervescent antacid products.
That doesn’t mean people need to stop taking aspirin for other purposes, the FDA notes. Talk with your doctor about whether aspirin for inflammation, pain relief, etc. is appropriate for you. If your doctor has advised you to take an aspirin a day to help prevent a heart attack or other condition, don’t stop without talking with him or her first.
Make sure you discuss with your doctor what kind of medicine you can take in case you get an upset stomach. There are plenty of stomach medicines that don’t contain aspirin.
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
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