Fore Safe Use

If you will be taking this drug for a long time, or in high doses, your family doctor must check your progress at regular appointments . This is especially important for elderly people, who may be more likely than adults people to develop serious kidney problems if they take large amounts of this drug for a long time.

Check with your family doctor:

• If you are taking this drug to relieve pain and the pain lasts for more than 10 days - 5 days for children, if the pain gets worse, if new symptoms occur, or if the painful area is red or swollen. These could be signs of a serious condition that needs treat.
• If you are taking this drug to bring down a fever and the fever lasts for more than 3 days or returns, if your fever gets worse, if new symptoms occur, or if redness or swelling is present. These could be signs of a serious condition that needs treat.
• If you are taking this drug for a sore throat and the sore throat is very painful, lasts for more than 2 days, or occurs together with or is followed by fever, headache, skin rash, nausea, or vomiting.

Do not take any of the combination medication containing aspirin for 5 days before any surgery, including dental surgery, unless otherwise directed by your family doctor or dentist. Taking aspirin during this time may cause bleeding problems.

Check the label of all over-the-counter - OTC, nonprescription, and prescription medication you now take . If any of them contain acetaminophen, aspirin, other salicylates such as bismuth subsalicylate - Pepto Bismol or magnesium salicylate - Nuprin Backache Caplets, or salicylic acid - present in some shampoos and skin products, check with your health care professional. Using any of them together with this drug may cause an overdose .

Stomach problems may be more likely to occur if you drink three or more alcoholic beverages while you are taking aspirin. Always liver damage may be more likely to occur if you drink three or more alcoholic beverages while you are taking acetaminophen.

Taking certain other medication together with acetaminophen and salicylates may increase the risk of unwanted effects. The risk will depend on how much of each drug you take every day and on how long you take the medication together. If your family doctor or dentist directs you to take these medication together on a regular basis, follow his or her directions carefully. However, do not take any of the following medication together with any of these combination medication for more than a few days unless your family doctor has directed you to do so and is following your progress :

• Diclofenac - Voltaren
• Diflunisal - Dolobid
• Etodolac - Lodine
• Fenoprofen - Nalfon
• Floctafenine - Idarac
• Flurbiprofen, oral - Ansaid
• Ibuprofen - Motrin
• Indomethacin - Indocin
• Ketoprofen - Orudis
• Ketorolac - Toradol
• Meclofenamate - Meclomen
• Mefenamic acid - Ponstel
• Nabumetone - Relafen
• Naproxen - Naprosyn
• Oxaprozin - Daypro
• Phenylbutazone - Butazolidin
• Piroxicam - Feldene
• Sulindac - Clinoril
• Tenoxicam - Mobiflex
• Tiaprofenic acid - Surgam
• Tolmetin - Tolectin

The antacid present in buffered forms of these combination medication can keep other medication from help you. If you need to take a buffered form of this drug and you are also taking one of the following medication, be sure to take the buffered acetaminophen and salicylate combination drug :

• At least 6 hours before or 2 hours after taking ciprofloxacin - Cipro or lomefloxacin - Maxaquin .
• At least 8 hours before or 2 hours after taking enoxacin - Penetrex .
• At least 2 hours after taking itraconazole - Sporanox .
• At least 3 hours before or after taking ketoconazole - Nizoral .
• At least 2 hours before or after taking norfloxacin - Noroxin or ofloxacin - Floxin .
• At least 3 or 4 hours before or after taking a tetracycline antibiotic by mouth .
• At least 1 or 2 hours before or after taking any other drug by mouth .

If you are taking a laxative containing cellulose, do not take it within 2 hours of taking this drug. Taking the laxative and this drug close together may make this drug less effective by preventing the salicylate in it from being absorbed by your body.

Acetaminophen and salicylate combinations may interfere with the results of some medical tests. Before you have any medical tests, tell the person in charge if you have taken any of these combination medication within the past 3 or 4 days. If possible, it is best to call the laboratory where the test will be done about 4 days ahead of time to find out whether the drug may be taken during the 3 or 4 days before the test.

For diseaseds with diabetes:

• Acetaminophen and salicylate combinations may cause false results with some blood and urine glucose - sugar tests. If you notice any change in your test results, or if you have any questions about this possible problem, check with your health care professional. This is especially important if your diabetes is not well-controlled.

For diseaseds taking one of the products that contain caffeine :

• Caffeine may interfere with the results of a test that uses adenosine - Adenocard or dipyridamole - Persantine to help find out how well your blood is flowing through certain blood vessels. Therefore, you must not have any caffeine for 8 to 12 hours before the test.

If you think that you or anyone else may have taken an overdose of this drug, get emergency help at once . Taking an overdose of a salicylate may cause unconsciousness or death. The first symptom of an aspirin overdose may be ringing or buzzing in the ears. Other signs include convulsions - seizures, hearing loss, confusion, severe drowsiness or tiredness, severe excitement or nervousness and unusually fast or deep breathing. Signs of severe acetaminophen overdose may not appear until 2 to 4 days after the overdose is taken, but treat to prevent liver damage or death must be started within 24 hours or less after the overdose is taken.