What is an Aspirin Overdose
Aspirin is a medicine that is commonly used to treat fever, pain, and inflammation. It is found in many prescription medicines and over-the-counter medicines, including:
- Pain medicines.
- Cold medicines.
- Medicines for diarrhea or upset stomach.
- Herbal medicines.
An aspirin overdose happens when you take too much aspirin or too much of a medicine that is like aspirin. It can happen if you take too much at one time (acute overdose) or too much over a long period of time (chronic overdose). An aspirin overdose can result in serious health problems, such as organ failure.
What increases the risk?
This condition is more likely to develop in:
- Infants and elderly adults.
- People who do not drink enough fluids while taking aspirin.
- People who are taking aspirin and have a fever or become overheated.
- People who have kidney problems.
What are the signs or symptoms?
Symptoms of this condition include:
- Nausea.
- Vomiting.
- Fever.
- Ringing in the ears.
- Confusion.
- Hyperactivity.
- Fatigue.
- Rapid breathing.
- Having trouble breathing.
- Low blood pressure.
- Seizure.
- Loss of consciousness.
How is this diagnosed?
This condition can be diagnosed based on:
- Your symptoms.
- Your history of taking aspirin.
- A physical exam.
- Tests.
These may check:
- The amount of aspirin in your blood.
- The level of oxygen in your blood.
- Acid levels (pH) in your blood and urine.
- Your blood minerals (electrolytes).
- Your blood sugar (glucose).
- The amount of protein in your blood and urine.
How is this treated?
Treatment for this condition depends on how severe the overdose is, when you last took the aspirin, and how much you took. Treatment may involve:
- Taking activated charcoal. The charcoal may be swallowed or may be given through a tube that goes from the nose to the stomach (nasogastric tube). The charcoal will absorb aspirin in your stomach.
- Getting IV fluids and medicines. These are given to correct your blood pH and to restore electrolyte balance.
- Taking medicines to prevent seizures.
- Taking laxatives. Laxatives will help remove aspirin from the body.
- Cooling the body with an ice bath. This may be done to bring down a fever.
- A procedure to filter the aspirin from the blood (hemodialysis). This may be needed in severe cases.
Follow these instructions at home:
- Drink enough fluids to keep your urine clear or pale yellow.
How is this prevented?
- Carefully read the labels of all medicines that you take. These include prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, herbal supplements, and vitamins.
- Check with your health care provider or pharmacist before you start any new medicine or supplement.
Contact a health care provider if:
- You continue to have symptoms of an aspirin overdose.
- You become sluggish or confused.
