Patients who have had or are at risk for stroke or heart attack and are also at risk of getting a stomach ulcer when taking aspirin are treated with a combination of aspirin and omeprazole to lower these risks. Aspirin belongs to the group of drugs known as antiplatelet agents. It functions by stopping platelets, a kind of blood cell, from clumping together and producing clots that could result in a heart attack or stroke. Proton-pump inhibitors are a class of drugs that includes omeprazole. It functions by reducing the production of stomach acid.

A delayed-release tablet containing aspirin and omeprazole is available for oral use. This prevents stomach injury by dissolving the medication in the intestine. Typically, it is taken with drink once daily, at least 60 minutes before a meal. Aspirin and omeprazole should be taken at roughly the same time each day. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Aspirin and omeprazole should be taken exactly as prescribed. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

Do not split, chew, dissolve, or crush the delayed-release pills; instead, swallow them whole.

Even if you feel good, keep taking omeprazole and aspirin. Without consulting your doctor, do not discontinue taking omeprazole and aspirin. A heart attack or stroke are more likely to occur if you stop using omeprazole and aspirin.

Aspirin and omeprazole should not be taken together to treat acute heart attack or stroke symptoms.

For a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient, ask your pharmacist or doctor.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

Before taking aspirin and omeprazole,

• If you have any allergies, including to aspirin, other NSAIDs including ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, and others), indomethacin (Indocin), or any of the chemicals in the delayed-release tablets containing aspirin and omeprazole, let your doctor and pharmacist know right once. Request a list of the components from your pharmacist.
• If you are on rilpivirine, let your doctor know (Edurant, in Complera, in Odefsey). If you are taking this drug, your doctor generally won’t let you take aspirin and omeprazole at the same time.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about any additional prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products you are now taking or intend to use. Incorporate any of the following: anticoagulants (also known as “blood thinners”) such heparin and warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven), acetazolamide (Diamox), antiretrovirals such as atazanavir (Reyataz, in Evotaz), nelfinavir (Viracept), or saquinavir (Invirase); angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors such as benazepril (Lotensin, in Lotrel), captopril, enalapril (Epaned, Vasotec), fosinopril, Beta blockers like atenolol (Tenormin), labetalol (Trandate), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL, among others), nadolol (Corgard, in Corzide), and propranolol (Inderal, Innopran); citalopram (Celexa); cilostazol; clopidogrel (Plavix); diazepam (Diastat, Valium); digoxin (Lanoxin); disulfiram (Antabuse); diuretics (‘water pills’); erlotinib (Tarceva); iron salts; itraconazole (Onmel, Sporanox); cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune); dasatinib (Sprycel); oral diabetic medicines; diazepam (Diastat, Valium); digoxin; In addition to rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane, in Rifamate, in Rifater), tacrolimus (Astagraf, Prograf), ticagrelor (Brilinta), valproic acid (Depakene), and voriconazole, other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) include mycophenolate (Cellcept), methotrexate (Otrexup, Rasuvo, Trex (Vfend). Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects.
• Tell your doctor about all of your herbal medications, especially St. John’s Wort.
• When using aspirin or other NSAIDs like ibuprofen, if you have or have ever experienced significant shortness of breath, chest tightness or pain, coughing or wheezing (asthma), rhinitis (regular stuffy or runny nose), or nasal polyps (growths on the linings of the nose), let your doctor know (Advil, Motrin, others). If you have any of these diseases, your doctor could advise against using omeprazole and aspirin.
• If you have Asian ancestry or use three or more alcoholic beverages per day, let your doctor know. Tell your doctor if you have or have previously had lupus, liver or renal disease, low levels of magnesium in your blood, or bleeding issues like haemophilia.
• You should be aware that due to the danger of Reye’s Syndrome, children and teens with chicken pox, the flu, flu symptoms, or who have just received the varicella virus vaccination (chicken pox) shouldn’t take aspirin (a serious condition in which fat builds up on the brain, liver, and other body organs).
• If you are expecting, especially if you are in the last few months of your pregnancy, planning to get pregnant, or breastfeeding, let your doctor know. Call your doctor if you become pregnant while taking an aspirin-containing medicine. If consumed during the final few months of pregnancy, aspirin may harm the foetus and complicate delivery.
• You should be aware that this medicine may lower a woman’s fertility. Discuss the dangers of taking omeprazole and aspirin with your doctor.
• Inform the surgeon or dentist that you are taking omeprazole and aspirin if you are having surgery, including dental surgery.

Keep eating normally unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.

If you miss a dosage, take it as soon as you recall. If the next dose is soon due, skip the missed one and carry on with your regular dosing plan. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

Omeprazole and aspirin both have potential adverse effects. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Heartburn
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Some adverse effects can be very harmful. Call your doctor right away if any of these symptoms occur to you:

• Abnormal bleeding or bruising
• Tarry, black, or bloody stools
• Urethral blood
• Bloody poop
• Poop that resembles coffee grounds
• Severe diarrhoea (watery or bloody faeces), which may or may not be accompanied by fever and cramping in the
• Stomach
• Several nosebleeds
• Fever
• Alterations in urination, swelling of the hands and feet, rash, itching, or ammonia breath
• The skin or eyes turning yellow
• Dark faeces
• Discomfort or pain in the right upper abdominal region
• Breathing difficulties, dizziness, muscle weakness, pale complexion, fatigue, mood swings, or numbness
• Seizures, lightheadedness, pains in the muscles, or hand or foot spasms
• Aching joints
• Rash, particularly a rash on the arms or cheeks that grows worse in the sun

Proton pump inhibitors like omeprazole may increase the risk of fractures in the wrists, hips, or spine compared to those who do not take them. The danger is greatest for those who take one of these medications in high doses or for a year or more.

Omperazole with aspirin may also have additional adverse effects. If you experience any strange issues while taking this medicine, contact your doctor right away.

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting programme online or by phone if you have a serious side event (1-800-332-1088).

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Store it away from excessive heat and moisture at room temperature (not in the bathroom). There may be a desiccant packet (a little package containing a chemical that absorbs moisture to keep the drug dry) included in the packaging of your medication. Do not discard the package; instead, leave it in the bottle.

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilising a medicine take-back programme is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programmes in your area, speak with your pharmacist or the garbage/recycling department in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back programme, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

As many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Additionally, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Overdose symptoms could include:

• An earache that ringers
• Fever
• Confusion
• Drowsiness
• Distorted vision
• A quick heartbeat
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Sweating
• Flushing
• Headache
• Mouth ache

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. Before and during your therapy, your doctor might request specific laboratory testing, especially if you have severe diarrhoea.

Inform the lab staff and your doctor that you are taking aspirin and omperazole prior to any laboratory test.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.

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