Is it possible for pregnant women to take aspirin and how to take it correctly. Can pregnant women take aspirin for a cold? Why is aspirin prescribed during pregnancy?
Unfortunately, disorders in the blood coagulation system in a woman can occur at any stage of life, including while waiting for the birth of a child. Many patients, having undergone a routine examination by a doctor, are perplexed why they were prescribed Aspirin during pregnancy.
In most cases, when prescribing this drug, the doctor pursues one goal: to reduce blood viscosity and protect both the woman and her child from extremely severe cardiovascular complications.
The active component of Aspirin is acetylsalicylic acid, a substance with antithrombotic activity. The point of application of this drug is the cell membrane of platelets. When exposed to these cells, aspirin prevents the formation of blood clots inside the vessels, thereby maintaining normal blood flow.
Aspirin is widely prescribed in cardiac practice for the prevention of thromboembolism in patients who have had a myocardial infarction, suffering from atrial fibrillation and chronic heart failure. It is also often used to prevent the formation of blood clots after thrombophlebitis and in varicose veins of the lower extremities. But why do doctors prescribe aspirin to pregnant women?
Why Aspirin for Pregnant Women?
Throughout the bearing of a child, a woman's body experiences significant hormonal overload, and sex hormones directly affect blood viscosity. Moreover, the growing uterus mechanically compresses large blood vessels, which causes stagnation of blood in the legs. Both factors predispose to the development of peripheral venous insufficiency and thrombosis.
A rare but extremely dangerous situation in pregnant women is antiphospholipid syndrome, an autoimmune pathology accompanied by multiple formation of blood clots in the lumen of blood vessels. This disease poses a direct threat to the health and life of both the woman and her child, and the best way to prevent possible complications is blood thinning therapy.
Why is aspirin prescribed during pregnancy? To reduce blood viscosity and prevent blood clots. This helps to avoid not only such dangerous complications as myocardial infarction, stroke and pulmonary embolism. Aspirin indirectly improves blood circulation in the uteroplacental circle, so that the baby receives more oxygen.
Use during pregnancy
While taking Aspirin, special care should be taken, not to mention the fact that it is strictly forbidden to take it without a doctor's recommendation. This is due to the fact that even with the slightest excess of the dose, acetylsalicylic acid begins to have adverse effects on the fetus.
This danger is especially great in the first trimester of pregnancy, since aspirin can cause:
- splitting of the upper lip and hard palate;
- congenital disorder of the structure of the spine and spinal cord - spina bifida;
- anophthalmia, or absence of the eyeball;
- heart defects, and other congenital pathologies.
In order to avoid the development of these complications, Aspirin during early pregnancy is prescribed only in low doses.
Why are doctors against prescribing Aspirin in late pregnancy? This drug can penetrate the utero-placental barrier, so from 10-12 weeks it can be taken only if it is really necessary: for example, if the expectant mother suffers from legs, or she is diagnosed with antiphospholipid syndrome.
In the later stages, Aspirin, if used incorrectly, can lead to:
- maternal bleeding;
- hemorrhage in internal organs, including the brain;
- damage to the gastric mucosa;
- severe damage to the fetal liver, and other complications.
So, can you take aspirin during pregnancy? In the early stages - in low doses and with caution. In the third trimester of pregnancy, Aspirin should never be drunk, because additional blood thinning during this period is fraught with life-threatening uterine bleeding and the death of the child.
Instructions for use during pregnancy
Acetylsalicylic acid is available in several dosages under a variety of trade names:
- Aspirin of the German company Bayer.
- Thrombo ACC, manufactured by the Austrian pharmaceutical company Lannacher Heilmittel and the Russian company Valeant.
- Aspirin Cardio, prescribed during pregnancy, is produced by the same German company Bayer.
- Acecardol of the company Sintez OJSC (Russia), and others.
The maximum dosage of Aspirin during pregnancy should not exceed 100 mg. Otherwise, the risk of developing hemorrhagic complications increases significantly. The drug is taken 1 time per day in the morning with meals. In no case should you drink Aspirin on an empty stomach, as this can lead to damage to the mucous membrane with the development of an ulcer.
Contraindications
If a woman suffers from bronchial asthma, then the question of whether she can drink Aspirin during pregnancy is not worth it. Such a patient should stop taking this drug and find another antithrombotic agent. This is due to the fact that acetylsalicylic acid itself often becomes a provocateur of asthmatic attacks.
Due to the steady increase in the incidence of gastric and duodenal ulcers, the appointment of aspirin is becoming an increasingly difficult task. Acetylsalicylic acid blocks the formation of a certain type of prostaglandins - substances that provide additional protection of the gastric mucosa from the aggressive action of hydrochloric acid of gastric juice. Therefore, patients suffering from peptic ulcer disease, as well as those who have had gastrointestinal bleeding in the past, should not take Aspirin.
Precautionary measures
Aspirin is far from a harmless drug, and it has a number of side and undesirable effects, the occurrence of which creates a direct threat to the health of the mother and child. Fortunately, the risk of their occurrence is minimal if a woman takes the drug strictly in the doses recommended by her doctor.
Aspirin should be stopped immediately if any of the following symptoms occur:
- The occurrence of spontaneous bruises and hematomas on the skin.
- Fetid, loose, tarry stools.
- Suffocation attacks.
- Severe dizziness, weakness and pallor of the skin.
- Increase in blood pressure.
- Sharp pain in the joints and swelling of the surrounding tissues.
- Cramping pains in abdomen and back.
Prevention of thrombus formation is an important direction in maintaining pregnancy and guaranteeing the birth of a healthy baby. Aspirin copes well with this task and is prescribed during pregnancy to thin the blood, but without consulting a competent specialist, taking it will only be harmful. Follow medical recommendations and in no case take acetylsalicylic acid preparations without permission, so that the joy of motherhood is not overshadowed by unpleasant, and sometimes very dangerous complications. Remember that Aspirin can be drunk during pregnancy only in the early stages.
Useful video about thrombosis
Answers
During pregnancy, any medical medicine brings danger to the woman and the fetus. Even the most harmless, somehow affect the body. In addition, it is not always possible for pregnant women to use different ones. Common Aspirin is not a safe remedy. It also happens that this drug during pregnancy is used for prevention, and not for treatment. Could this be?
Salicylic risks
During pregnancy in the third and first trimesters, Aspirin is contraindicated - as indicated in the instructions for the drug. In the first one, it is impossible, because all the organs of the baby are formed, and any medicine can adversely affect the process, and in the third, the risk of bleeding increases during childbirth. After all, aspirin lowers blood clotting. Practice gives the result that Aspirin can still be used in some situations up to 36 weeks.
Some doctors generally did not prescribe this drug to their patients (pregnant women) throughout pregnancy, they selected safer drugs. And all because Aspirin has a lot of side effects. For example, the list of Acetylsalicylic acid is also impressive. Side effects of the drug: the formation of bronchial asthma, Reye's syndrome, leukopenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia; disruption of the kidneys or liver; angioedema, skin rash; diarrhea, gastralgia, anorexia, nausea. As well as edema, heart and kidney failure, aseptic meningitis, nephrotic syndrome, interstitial nephritis, bronchospasm; bleeding, hypocoagulation.
Much research is being done on how Aspirin affects the fetus and pregnancy itself. And yet it is impossible to give an unambiguous one hundred percent answer.
Arguments that say that Aspirin should not be used during pregnancy:
- the infant develops pulmonary and cardiac complications;
- bad impact on ;
- risk ;
- risk of miscarriage;
- There may be pregnancy complications.
Danish scientists have established a link between the use of Aspirin during pregnancy and the development of testicular pathology in boys and impaired reproductive functions.
We remind you that we are talking about the usual doses of the drug that are prescribed to non-pregnant people. We discuss this because during pregnancy, Aspirin is attributed to microdoses. And in such doses, it is even useful for both the fetus and the woman.
Safe dosage
The dosage of aspirin is of great importance. If you change the dose, then at the same time its effect on the fetus and the pregnant woman changes. Therefore, Aspirin turns into an assistant from an aggressor. And, it can be explained scientifically.
Aspirin can cross the placenta and affect the development of the fetus, only in large quantities - more than 1500 mg per day. It was then that violations are observed, there may be hypotrophy. And at small doses, the poison becomes a medicine and affects pregnancy only positively. Therefore, the ideal daily dose is 100 mg. It is regulated by the Ministry of Health. In this case, the minimum concentration of the drug in the woman's blood. And it will not affect the fetus in any way.
What is the purpose of aspirin for pregnant women?
If you constantly “destroy” yours with Aspirin, then Paracetamol is best suited during pregnancy. And although microdoses of Aspirin are useful and safe for pregnant women, it is attributed only when there is a strong need. For example, if the blood coagulates very strongly. There may be problems in providing the fetus with nutrients and oxygen if the woman has poor circulation and is not fluid enough. Therefore, once a day, 1/4 tablet should be used if a pregnant woman has suspicions of an antiphospholipid disease. Also, this dose of the drug prevents vasospasm, and this has a good effect on the placenta: the aging process of the placenta slows down, placental insufficiency decreases, placental circulation normalizes.
Pregnant women with varicose veins are very rarely credited with Aspirin. Well, I want to remind you that there is a safer drug for this called Curantyl. Doctors recommend replacing Aspirin with the use of food products: carrots, cranberries and beets.
Women who develop preeclampsia are also given microdoses of Aspirin. After all, it makes it possible to protect yourself from preeclampsia, some studies have given this result. It should be recalled that experienced gynecologists attribute Aspirin to expectant mothers with rheumatic diseases, they say: such women do not develop nephropathy, but childbirth is difficult.
Should I take aspirin during pregnancy?
One can only say unequivocally: you cannot use Aspirin on your own.
Know that Aspirin has many names and is found in a wide variety of medicines, such as Nurofen. However, there are also contraindicated drugs during pregnancy:
During pregnancy, be careful and careful. If you don't know something, ask your doctor.
Aspirin is a fairly well-known and widely used drug. It is used to bring down the temperature, as well as during headaches. But this drug has many contraindications and is not approved for use in children. Aspirin is sometimes prescribed during pregnancy.
When you hear about this drug, you immediately begin to read the instructions for use. But you need to understand that aspirin is produced by many pharmacological companies, respectively, the answer to the question: “is it possible to take aspirin during pregnancy?” will also be different.
Some instructions say that the drug should not be used by pregnant women, while other manufacturers write that this medicine is allowed at the beginning and end of pregnancy. Many doctors prescribe aspirin to thin the blood.
Now the action of this drug is directed to completely different symptoms. It is effective in cardiovascular diseases.
The use of the drug in trimesters
- Aspirin during early pregnancy is undesirable, especially in large doses. During pregnancy, you must follow the instructions for using aspirin, otherwise it can cause significant harm to the unborn baby;
- Aspirin is not recommended in the 1st trimester of pregnancy, as the fetus is not yet fully formed.
Know! With the help of studies, it has been proven that many miscarriages occurred precisely because of the use of this drug. Aspirin can cause heart disease in the fetus, as well as growth failure. It is best not to take risks and protect yourself and the child by refusing to use it.
- Aspirin in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy has no such prohibitions. But still it is worth using it with caution and, preferably, only on the recommendation and prescription of a doctor;
- Aspirin at this stage of pregnancy is prescribed for those who have good enough and serious reasons for treating them. Even if you have a very bad headache or want to quickly get rid of the temperature, it is best to use another, safer medicine.
- Aspirin in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy has the ability to contribute to the early closure of the duct of the fetal artery, the lungs may not fully develop, there will be a developmental delay, as well as inhibition of labor activity (for how a baby develops normally, read the article Development of a child in the womb >>>);
- As for the child, in the last term, taking aspirin contributes to the appearance of intracranial hemorrhage, in particular, a huge risk of such complications applies to premature babies.
However, if you had to take the drug, do not worry, a single dose of the drug is not capable of leading to such complications. They can be caused if a woman takes more than 300 mg per day.
Important to remember! Large doses of the drug can cause increased bleeding in a woman, especially during childbirth.
In the third trimester of pregnancy, you can meet such a disease as preeclampsia. The disease is very dangerous for women and children. Has the following symptoms:
- increased blood pressure;
- severe swelling;
- an increase in protein in the urine.
It often occurs in young women and in pregnant women over 40 years of age. Doctors prescribe aspirin to women who have experienced preeclampsia to avoid preeclampsia.
Use in treatment and doses
During pregnancy, the dose of the drug is significantly reduced, the norm is no more than 150 mg per day. Take after meals with plenty of fluids. It is forbidden to use the drug on your own, it is necessary to discuss aspirin treatment and acceptable norms with your doctor.
Overdose
In case of an overdose, the following symptoms occur:
- dizziness;
- unrelated thinking;
- nausea and vomiting;
- noise in ears;
- headache.
You must immediately reduce the dose or stop taking it. If the degree of poisoning is severe enough, then hospitalization is necessary, where gastric lavage is prescribed. While the ambulance is on the way, use activated charcoal and drink plenty of fluids.
In severe poisoning, respiratory failure, cardiogenic shock, low glucose levels, frequent deep breathing, fever, and in extreme cases, coma are observed.
With proper use of the drug, an overdose is excluded.
Interaction with other medicines
- If aspirin is taken simultaneously with drugs that help lower blood pressure, then its effectiveness is reduced. The same thing happens when using diuretic drugs;
- Taking this drug in combination with anti-inflammatory drugs leads to toxicity of the latter;
- If you drink alcoholic beverages during aspirin treatment (as well as non-alcoholic beer), this can lead to bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract and damage the mucous membrane.
Side effects
Side effects include the following symptoms:
- reduced platelet count;
- development of an ulcer of the gastrointestinal tract;
- elevated levels of liver enzymes;
- heartburn, pain in the stomach, nausea (do you know that these symptoms can accompany a pregnant woman even without taking Aspirin? Read about it in the article Stomachache during pregnancy >>>);
- bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract.
Attention! When bleeding opens in the stomach, a person vomits blood and loose black stools.
An excellent substitute for aspirin is cardio aspirin. It is much better suited for pregnant women, as the tablets are enteric-coated and can protect the stomach from the negative effects of the drug components.
The opinion of doctors about the use of this medication for therapy
In general, taking aspirin during pregnancy is not recommended.
This is possible only in extremely rare cases. This is due to the action of too aggressive components that are part of this drug. This can bring great harm not only to a pregnant woman, but even to an ordinary person.
Also, the drug can cause a lot of different side effects, especially due to acetylsalicylic acid. In some cases, the drug can cause disruption of the kidneys and liver, bleeding, leukopenia, anemia, the development of bronchial asthma, and so on. The list of them is quite impressive, it’s impossible to list everything.
You should know that a qualified doctor will never endanger the health of a pregnant woman and her unborn baby.
Aspirin (or acetylsalicylic acid) It is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is most commonly used as an antipyretic and pain reliever for colds and body aches. It also affects the level of thrombosis, reducing blood clotting.
Most people consider it a harmless drug, but during pregnancy it can cause serious harm.
Why is Aspirin prescribed for pregnant women?
With increased blood clotting and thrombophlebitis. Increased blood clotting is the reason for the appointment of Aspirin during pregnancy. It is able to prevent the formation of blood clots and improve blood microcirculation.
Note!
Treatment and prevention of thrombosis during pregnancy can be carried out with Curantil, which has a less negative effect on the development of the fetus and the health of the mother.
With antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Sticky blood syndrome poses a threat to the fetus, because thick blood is difficult to circulate, which leads to impaired blood circulation in the placenta. This prevents the supply of nutrients to the embryo, which leads to fetal hypoxia and can even provoke a miscarriage, especially in the early stages.
To improve the functioning of the placenta. Taking aspirin in microdoses thins the blood, reducing the number of platelets. This has a beneficial effect on placental circulation. Normalization of blood flow prevents premature aging of the placenta and reduces the risk of developing placental insufficiency.
With varicose veins. The presence of signs of varicose veins in pregnant women is also an indication for taking Aspirin in microdoses. However, the drug does not eliminate changes in the veins, that is, it does not cure varicose veins, but only facilitates the course of the disease. As a rule, the doctor tries to choose safer medicines for the pregnant woman or suggest enriching the diet with blood-thinning products.
These products are:
- cranberry;
- ginger;
- tomato;
- beet;
- greenery.
For the prevention of preeclampsia. Another reason for prescribing salicylic acid may be the prevention of preeclampsia in women at risk of developing this complication.
Based on more than 20 medical studies, it has been proposed to prevent the occurrence of preeclampsia with daily intake of Aspirin in small doses. Taking one quarter of a tablet of this drug daily from the 4th month of pregnancy reduces the chance of preeclampsia by 24%.
The risk of preterm birth is reduced by 14%, as well as the risk of intrauterine growth retardation by 10%.
Is it possible to use Aspirin in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd trimester of pregnancy?
The use of large (more than 300 mg / day) doses of acetylsalicylic acid at the time of fetal formation can lead to serious defects in the development of the embryo. Taking Aspirin in the 1st trimester increases the incidence of heart defects in the fetus, leads to disturbances in the formation of the upper palate and can cause stunting of the embryo in growth.
Second trimester of pregnancy is not a strict ban on taking this drug. But its appointment requires special care and reduced dosage. The appointment of Aspirin in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy must be caused by serious reasons. The use of this medicine as a usual remedy for headache or fever is unacceptable!
Taking aspirin in 3 trimester can provoke premature closure of the fetal artery duct, developmental delay, underdevelopment of the lungs and heart of the baby, or inhibition of labor.
Large dosages of the drug can increase bleeding in the mother, especially during delivery.
Taking salicylic acid shortly before childbirth can lead to intracranial hemorrhage in the newborn, premature babies are especially at risk.
Despite the frightening potential complications, a single dose of Aspirin cannot lead to negative consequences in the development of the child. This applies to dosages not exceeding 300 mg per day. But unauthorized repeated use of this medicine can harm the health of the unborn child and mother.
Instructions for use Aspirin for pregnant women
Dosage
During pregnancy, Aspirin is prescribed in reduced doses - 100-150 mg per day, but not more than 200 mg / day. The drug is taken after meals with half a glass of water.
Dosage features are discussed with the attending physician, self-medication with Aspirin during pregnancy is unacceptable!
Soluble Aspirin is prescribed to thin the blood with a predisposition to thrombosis (which can be judged by the results of a coagulogram), a tendency to varicose veins, effervescent Aspirin for mild colds and headaches.
drug overdose
Average overdose rate manifested by the following symptoms:
- nausea, vomiting;
- incoherent thinking;
- the appearance of noise in the ears;
- increased headache.
Treatment: symptoms disappear after adjusting the dose of the medication.
At severe drug poisoning hospitalization with obligatory gastric lavage is required. Until the ambulance arrives, you can take activated charcoal and replace the loss of fluid.
Signs of a severe overdose:
- rapid deep breathing;
- signs of respiratory failure;
- fever;
- cardiogenic shock;
- drop in blood glucose levels;
- coma.
An overdose of Aspirin cannot occur if the expectant mother follows the doctor's recommendations.
drug interaction
Simultaneous administration of acetylsalicylic acid with drugs that reduce pressure reduces their effectiveness. This medicine has the same effect on diuretics.
Aspirin can cause an increase in the content of lithium in the blood plasma, as well as barbiturates and digoxin.
Co-administration of acetylsalicylic acid with other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can lead to increased toxicity of the latter. The toxicity of thrombolytics (means that prevent the formation of blood clots), heparin, oral hypoglycemic (lowering sugar levels in diabetes) agents, sulfonamides (antifungal drugs) and indirect anticoagulants also increases.
The use of alcohol-containing drugs and the use of any alcohol (including non-alcoholic beer, wine, other low-alcohol drinks) simultaneously with Aspirin increases the risk of bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, increases the degree of damage to the digestive tract mucosa.
Heartburn preparations with aluminum hydroxide or magnesium (for example, Maalox suspension) can lead to a decrease in the effectiveness of Aspirin.
Side effects
Possible side effects include:
- high risk of bleeding, in particular in the gastrointestinal tract;
- increased levels of liver enzymes (AST and ALT);
- nausea, stomach pain, heartburn;
- development of peptic ulcer of the gastrointestinal tract;
- allergic reactions: bronchospasm, urticaria, anaphylactic shock, angioedema;
- decrease in the number of platelets in the blood.
Significant signs of stomach bleeding are vomiting blood (vomit that looks like coffee grounds) and loose black stools (like tar).
As a result of prolonged bleeding, iron deficiency anemia can develop. Be vigilant, watch the changes in your body.
Who should not take Aspirin?
Acetylsalicylic acid is contraindicated for people with low blood clotting, bleeding of any origin.
People suffering from bronchial asthma caused by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are also contraindicated to take this drug.
In addition, the drug is prohibited for use during an exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases.
It is strictly forbidden to use Aspirin in the first and third trimesters in normal dosages!
And during lactation at the time of taking the drug, it is worth stopping breastfeeding.
Women in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy, especially those with impaired kidney and liver function, should take this drug with caution.
Nasal polyps also require caution in the use of Aspirin.
Taking aspirin by patients with gout can trigger an attack by reducing the rate at which uric acid is removed from the body.
Analogues: Aspirin cardio, acetylsalicylic acid, THROMBO-ASS, Cardiopyrin.
Aspirin cardio is considered more preferable during pregnancy, because these tablets are enteric-coated and protect the stomach from the aggressive effects of the drug components.