Empirin

Who is Empirin for ?

Empirin is used to relieve mild to moderate pain; reduce fever, redness, and swelling; and to help prevent blood from clotting. Empirin is used to relieve discomfort caused by numerous medical problems, including headache, infections, and arthritis. Empirin also is used to reduce the risk of a second heart attack or stroke. Larger doses of Empirin are used to treat gout. Empirin is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

When should I be careful taking Empirin ?

Before taking Empirin,

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to Empirin, other arthritis or pain medications (e.g., ibuprofen), tartrazine dye, or any other drugs.
• tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially acetazolamide (Diamox); anticoagulants ("blood thinners") such as warfarin (Coumadin); corticosteroids such as cortisone (Cortone), dexamethasone (Decadron), hydrocortisone (Cortef), or prednisone (Deltasone); medications for diabetes, gout, or high blood pressure; methotrexate; nizatidine (Azid); valproic acid (Depakene, Depakote); and vitamins.
• tell your doctor if you have or have ever had anemia, diabetes, hemophilia or other bleeding problems, a history of ulcers, asthma, kidney or liver disease, gout, Hodgkin's disease, or a history of nasal polyps.
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking Empirin, call your doctor. Empirin and other salicylates should not be taken during the last 3 months of pregnancy or while breast-feeding.
• if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking Empirin. Your doctor may tell you to stop taking Empirin 1 week before surgery.
• tell your doctor about your use of alcohol. You should not drink alcoholic beverages while taking Empirin.

Empirin Side Effects

Although side effects from Empirin are not common, they can occur. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• upset stomach
• vomiting
• stomach pain

• ringing in the ears
• loss of hearing
• bloody or black stools
• wheezing
• difficulty breathing
• dizziness
• mental confusion
• drowsiness
• skin rash