Patient Medication Information: uses, side effects, how to take - Apo-ASA Ld
ABOUT THIS MEDICATION
What the medication is used for:
- APO-ASA LD is for doctor supervised long-term preventive therapy.
- APO-ASA LD may help save your life if you think you are having a heart attack.
What it does:
APO-ASA LD 81 mg is for doctor supervised long-term preventive therapy.
USE DURING A HEART ATTACK
If you think you are having a heart attack, call 911 immediately then, chew and swallow two APO-ASA LD. It is important to chew the product, to ensure this medicine works quickly. Then get to a hospital immediately for medical attention. Inform the emergency services / hospital that you have taken APO-ASA LD. Taking APO-ASA LD, at the first signs and symptoms can reduce your risk of dying from the heart attack.
The signs and symptoms of a heart attack include:
- uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing or pain in the centre of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away quickly and comes back,
- pain that spreads to the shoulders, neck or arms,
- chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea or shortness of breath.
Chest pain is the most common symptom in both sexes, but women may also experience other symptoms such as unusual fatigue that gets worse with activity, difficulty of breathing, heartburn/nausea and /or vomiting unrelieved by antacids, tightening and pain in the chest that may extend into the neck, jaws and shoulders, general feeling of weakness, paleness, sweating.
At the hospital, the doctor will then recommend appropriate therapy.
When it should not be used:
DO NOT TAKE APO-ASA LD if you:
- are allergic to ASA, salicylates, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)/pain relievers/fever reducers, or other ingredients in the product
- have an ulcer, history of ulcers or are prone to bleeding
- have active or severe liver or kidney disease or congestive heart failure
- have a history of asthma caused by salicylates or other NSAIDs.
- are using methotrexate at doses of 15 mg/week or more
are in the last trimester of pregnancy because it may cause problems in the unborn child or complications during delivery
What the medicinal ingredient is:
acetylsalicylic acid (ASA).
What the important nonmedicinal ingredients are:
corn starch, FD&C blue # 1, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, methacrylic acid copolymer, microcrystalline cellulose, polyethylene glycol, talc, titanium dioxide and triethyl citrate.
What dosage forms it comes in:
APO-ASA LD, 81 mg is only available as tablets for oral use.
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS
Your doctor will have asked you many questions about your health, lifestyle, and medications before recommending APO-ASA LD. That is why it is very important that you tell your doctor all such information. If you have forgotten to tell your doctor about any of the following, call your doctor or pharmacist before you take this medicine (or any medicine):
- asthma, high blood pressure, heart disease, gout or other serious conditions;
- age 60 years or older;
- stomach problems such as heartburn, STOMACH BLEEDING WARNING: contains NSAID which may cause severe stomach bleeding;
- impaired liver/kidney disease or impaired cardiovascular circulation (renal vascular disease, congestive heart failure, volume depletion, major surgery, sepsis or major hemorrhagic events;
- have history of blood clotting defects;
- severe anemia;
- severe glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency;
- are trying to conceive, pregnant or breast-feeding; or
- will be having surgery in five to seven days
CAUTION: Contains enough drug to seriously harm a child; KEEP OUT OF THEIR REACH. DO NOT GIVE to children/teenagers less than 18 years of age who have chicken pox or cold/flu symptoms before a doctor is consulted about Reye’s Syndrome, a rare serious illness reported to be associated with ASA.
INTERACTIONS WITH THIS MEDICATION
Tell your doctor if you are taking any prescription or non- prescription drugs including blood thinners, acetaminophen, anticonvulsants, anti-diabetic/arthritis/gout medicines, digoxin, glucocorticoids, methotrexate, selective-serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (a type of antidepressant), diuretics, ACE inhibitors (medication for high blood pressure), or if you are having 3 or more alcoholic drinks per day.
Do not use NSAIDs (i.e. ibuprofen or naproxen) if you are taking APO-ASA LD 81 mg for preventive therapy without talking to a doctor or pharmacist, as NSAIDs may interfere with the preventive benefits of APO-ASA LD 81 mg .
PROPER USE OF THIS MEDICATION
Usual dose:
DIRECTIONS (Adults ≥18 years):
For doctor supervised long-term preventive therapy:
1 to 4 tablets daily, depending on your doctor’s instructions. You should take this medicine at the same time every day. This will help you to remember to take your medication. For maximum effectiveness, it is very important to take APO-ASA LD 81 mg every day as directed by your doctor. Do not take more tablets than your doctor recommends. Your doctor may tell you to take APO-ASA LD 81 mg with other medications; he or she may also tell you to eat special foods, exercise or take other steps to safeguard your health. APO-ASA LD 81 mg tablets have a special enteric coating, which allows them to pass undissolved through the stomach and into the intestine. By dissolving in the intestine rather than the stomach, the risk of stomach upset is reduced. Therefore, to maintain this protection, the tablets should not be crushed or broken.
During a heart attack: Call 911, then, chew 2 – APO-ASA LD tablets.
Can I Continue to Take APO-ASA LD for Relief of Headache, Fever or Arthritis Pain?
APO-ASA LD is specially designed for doctor supervised long-term preventive therapy. It is a smaller dose than you would need to take for a headache or other types of pain and is unlike other pain reliever products such as acetaminophen or NSAIDs e.g., ibuprofen, naproxen. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about other APO-ASA LD 81 mg products available (or other pain relievers such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen or salicylates) and the correct dosage for the relief of your headache, fever or arthritic pain.
Always consult with your doctor or pharmacist before taking other medications.
Overdose:
| If you think you, or a person you are caring for, have taken too much APO-ASA LD, contact a healthcare professional, hospital emergency department, or regional poison control centre immediately, even if there are no symptoms. |
Missed Dose:
If you forget to take your medication, take it when you remember. But do not take extra medication to compensate for a missed dosage unless instructed by your doctor.
SIDE EFFECTS AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM
Like all medicines, APO-ASA LD may occasionally produce unwanted side effects. You should call your doctor if you experience: nausea, vomiting; stomach irritation, or pain; if you notice that you are ‘bruising’ more easily than you were before starting a daily dose of APO-ASA LD. Regular daily use of alcohol while on APO-ASA LD daily therapy may increase your risk of developing gastrointestinal bleeding.
This is not a complete list of side effects. For any unexpected effects while taking APO-ASA LD, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS, HOW OFTEN THEY HAPPEN AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM
Stop use and call your doctor if you experience an allergic reaction (skin rash, hives, itching, swelling of the eyes, face, lips, tongue, or throat, wheezing or breathing difficulties); stomach bleeding (feel faint, bloody vomit, vomit that looks like coffee grounds, bright red blood in stools, black or tarry stools, stomach pain that does not get better); loss of hearing, ringing or buzzing in ears or bleeding.
HOW TO STORE IT
Keep out of reach of children.
Store at room temperature 15°C to 30°C.
Reporting Side Effects
You can report any suspected side effects associated with the use of health products to Health Canada by:
NOTE: Contact your health professional if you need information about how to manage your side effects. The Canada Vigilance Program does not provide medical advice. |
MORE INFORMATION
If you want more information about APO-ASA LD:
- Talk to your healthcare professional
- Find the full product monograph that is prepared for healthcare professionals and includes this Consumer Information by visiting the Health Canada website (https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/drug-products/drug-product-database.html). Find the Consumer Information on the manufacturer’s website (http://www.apotex.ca/products), or by calling 1-800-667-4708.
Ontario, M9L 1T9.