Cancer Leukemia Living With Drug Products Containing Acetylsalicylic Acid (Aspirin) By Karen Raymaakers Updated on February 20, 2024 Medically reviewed by Doru Paul, MD Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents What Is Aspirin? Dangers List of Medications With ASA When to Contact a Provider Which drug products contain acetylsalicylic acid, otherwise known as aspirin or ASA? If you are experiencing low platelet counts as a result of leukemia or lymphoma, or due to certain medical treatments, your healthcare provider will likely recommend that you avoid acetylsalicylic acid to prevent complications. This article includes examples of aspirin and drug combinations that contain aspirin. It also goes over some of the reasons why you might want to avoid medications that contain aspirin. Yuriy_K / Getty Images What Is Aspirin (Acetylsalicylic Acid or ASA)? Aspirin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), which means that it works to decrease inflammation, but it is not a steroid. Other medications are also considered NSAIDs, though these work in a slightly different way from aspirin. The modern history of aspirin dates back to the mid-1700s when a compound in willow bark, termed salicin, was found to reduce pain. There is also evidence that willow bark was used by the Egyptians and Sumerians to treat pain more than 3,500 years ago. Aspirin Uses Aspirin may be used for conditions that range from minor aches and pains to arthritis and the prevention of heart attacks and strokes. Due to its effectiveness with fevers and minor aches and pains, it is a component of a very wide array of over-the-counter pain relievers, cold preparations, and more. How Aspirin Works Aspirin works in a few ways. It can help to prevent clot formation (such as in heart attacks and strokes) by inhibiting platelet function. Platelets are the particles in the blood that cause a clot to form when you get a cut. It does this by inhibiting cyclooxygenase (COX) activity, which in turn inhibits compounds known as prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are also responsible for fevers and pain. So by inhibiting cyclooxygenase, ASA may reduce not only clot formation but also fever and pain. Why Aspirin Can Sometimes Be Dangerous Aspirin can be dangerous in two primary ways. It can directly cause problems or interact with medical treatments, or it can accentuate problems caused by other drugs or medical treatments that work in the same way. With Leukemia or Lymphoma There are a few reasons why aspirin may not be a wise choice during treatment for leukemia and lymphomas. Many of the treatments for blood cancers reduce the number or effectiveness of platelets. Aspirin use could make this problem worse. In addition, treatments for leukemias and lymphomas may result in a low red blood cell count. An increased risk of bleeding due to platelet dysfunction could further this problem. For these reasons, talk with your healthcare provider before taking aspirin or NSAIDs while undergoing treatment. Before Surgery Sometimes, surgical interventions are a part of the management of cancer or other illnesses. Your healthcare team will often ask you to stop medications that contain aspirin seven days before your surgery (or as directed by your healthcare provider). If you take aspirin because you’ve had a problem with your heart or because you’ve had a stroke, you should talk with your healthcare provider specifically about this part of your medical history before you stop taking it. List of Medications That Contain Acetylsalicylic Acid (ASA) or Aspirin Here is a list of some medications that contain ASA or related chemicals. This is not an all-inclusive list. Before starting any new medication, or if you are unsure whether a medication contains aspirin, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist. Acetylsalicylic acidAcuprinAspirin and dipyridamole combination drugAlka-Seltzer products (Regular, Extra Strength, Plus Flu, PM)AlorAnacin products (Regular, Advanced Headache Formula, With Codeine)Asacol tabletsAscriptin tabletsAspergum tabletsAspircaf tabletsAspirin tablets, coated and uncoatedAspirin Plus Stomach Guard tabletsAspir-Mox tabletsAspirtab tabletsAspir-trin tabletsAxotalAzdoneBayer Aspirin products (Regular, Plus Calcium, PM, Back and Body Pain, Children's chewable)BC Headache tabletsBufferin tabletsBuffexDamason-P tabletsDarvon-N with ASA capsulesDarvon Compound capsulesEasprin tabletsEcotrin tabletsEmagrin tabletsEmpirin tabletsEndodan tabletsEntaprin tabletsEntercote tabletsEquagesic tabletsExcedrin products (Regular, Back and Body)Fasprin tabletsGenacoteGennin-FCGenprinGoody’s Body PainHalfprin tabletsLevacetLortab ASAMagnaprinMicraininMiniprinMinitabsMomentumNorgesic tabletsOrphengesicOxycodanPanasalPercodan tabletsPercodan Demi tabletsPropoxyphene CompoundRidiprinRobaxisal productsRoxiprinSalofalk tablets and enemaSloprinSoma CompoundSoma Compound with caffeineSupacSynalgos-DCUni-Buff tabletsUni-Tren tabletsValomagVanquishZorprin tablets How to Find a Medicine or Supplement's Active Ingredients on the Label Over-the-counter medications have their active ingredients clearly listed on the label under the header "Active Ingredients." Other ingredients will be listed as "Inactive Ingredients."Supplements may not have an "Active Ingredients" header but will usually list the active ingredients under "Supplement Facts." Any inactive ingredients should appear below the supplement facts as "Other Ingredients." When to Check With Your Healthcare Provider Since so many drug preparations contain aspirin, and because they may be labeled with a number of different names, talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist before taking any medication. This is important for other reasons as well. Some drugs that appear relatively safe may in actuality be unsafe or otherwise cause problems for people going through medical treatment. Keep in mind that this doesn't apply just to medications. For example, some vitamin and mineral preparations may decrease the effectiveness of certain treatments, such as chemotherapy, even though they may be very safe for someone who is not being treated for cancer. Summary Aspirin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to treat pain and inflammation. Although it is an over-the-counter drug, you should not take it in certain situations or if you have specific medical conditions, especially when there is an increased risk of bleeding such as during leukemia or lymphoma treatment or before surgery. It can be hard to tell which medications contain aspirin since aspirin can go by different names. Always talk to your healthcare provider before starting any new medication, especially if you have an increased risk of bleeding. 7 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Montinari MR, Minelli S, De Caterina R. The first 3500 years of aspirin history from its roots - A concise summary. Vascul Pharmacol. 2019;113:1-8. doi:10.1016/j.vph.2018.10.008 National Library of Medicine. Aspirin. Giménez-Bastida JA, Boeglin WE, Boutaud O, Malkowski MG, Schneider C. Residual cyclooxygenase activity of aspirin-acetylated COX-2 forms 15 R-prostaglandins that inhibit platelet aggregation. FASEB J. 2019;33(1):1033-1041. doi:10.1096/fj.201801018R U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Aspirin: Questions and answers. Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Blood transfusion. American Family Physician. Perioperative Cardiovascular Medication Management in Noncardiac Surgery: Common Questions. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Common Medications Containing Aspirin and Other Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). By Karen Raymaakers Karen Raymaakers RN, CON(C) is a certified oncology nurse that has worked with leukemia and lymphoma patients for over a decade. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! 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