Aspirin overuse called 'dangerous'

When asked if they take any medication, few people think to mention aspirin, even if they take it daily. There is a common perception that aspirin isn't actually a "drug" and few people realize how potent those little pills can be.

According to Basil Hirschowitz, M.D., a University of Alabama at Birmingham gastroenterologist, even many patients who are treated for gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding fail to inform their doctor that they have been taking aspirin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

"In 30 cases of patients with surgery for intractable ulcers, blood tests showed they had been taking aspirin. But half the patients denied using aspirin. So people may not realize aspirin is in the medicine they are taking, or they are in denial of the potential dangers of taking the drug," he added.

Dangers of excessive aspirin use include ulcers of the upper GI tract, which are difficult to treat and will not heal unless aspirin is stopped. Senior adults are at particularly high risk of GI bleeding from NSAID use.