Aspirin: uses, dosing, side effects & brands

Key facts

Frequently asked questions

What is aspirin?

Uses temporarily relieves: minor pain of arthritis headache muscle pain menstrual pain toothache pain and fever of colds

What kind of drug is aspirin?

The FDA classifies aspirin as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. NSAIDs block cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes that your body uses to make prostaglandins, the chemicals behind pain, swelling, and fever. Lowering prostaglandins eases pain and inflammation and brings down a high temperature. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.

Can you take aspirin with other medicines?

It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run aspirin against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.

What brand names is aspirin sold under?

We track 4 aspirin-containing products in the U.S.: 8-Hour Bayer, Durlaza, Measurin and Vazalore. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.

What forms does aspirin come in?

Across the brands we track, aspirin is currently marketed as tablet, extended release, capsule, extended release and capsule, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.

Is there a generic aspirin?

We do not currently list a generic-labelled aspirin product. That does not always mean none exists — it means none appears under a generic name in the FDA data we track. Ask your pharmacist.