Information for Aspirin sensitive Patients.

As part of the strategy to optimise your treatment, it is important for you to realise ALL the potential aspirin containing drugs and foodstuffs, which you need to avoid if at all possible!

Dangerous drugs People known to be aspirin-sensitive must not take aspirin or drug products containing aspirin or aspirin-like drugs (see below), which are usually used for rheumatism, pain or fever.

Common drugs containing aspirin

Alka-Seltzer Analgesic Dellipsoids D6 Anodyne Dellipsoids D4 Antoin APC Mixture Asagran Aspav Aspellin Broprin Caprin Claradin Co-Codaprin Codis Dolasan Doloxene Co Equagesic Hypon Laboprin Levius Migravess Myolgin Napsalgesic Nu-Seals Aspirin Onadox 118 Paynocil Robaxisal Forte Safapryn Safapryn Co Solprin Sore Throat Mixture Trancoprin Veganin

Common aspirin-like drugs (NSAIDs)

Alrheumat Apsifen Artracin Benoral Brufen Butacote Bulazolidin Disalcid Dolobid Ebutac Flinoril Feldene Fenbid Spansule Fenopron Froben Ibumetin Ibuprofen Imbrilon Indocid Indoflex Indolar Indomod Iorunvail Laraflex Larapam Lederfen Lodine Motrin Naprosyn Nurofen Orudis Oruvail Palaprin Forte Paxofen Ponstan Progesic Ramodar Relifex Rheumox Surgam Synflex Tolectin Voltarol

  • Important: As the list cannot ever be complete, make sure that any drug you take does not contain aspirin or aspirin-like drugs by looking at the label. If in doubt ask your chemist.

Salicylates, drugs and food chemicals

If you have a salicylate intolerance, it is possible that you may also react to aspirin, and that any drug containing aspirin or aspirin-like drugs will be likely to affect you. However intolerance of salicylates may also be associated with intolerance of other chemicals, dyes and preservatives (see below). These may also need to be avoided. In general use fresh and home-made foods rather than prepared ones.

Common dyes (E numbers)

Tartrazine (102) Yellow 2G (107) Sunset yellow – cordials/custards (110) Amaranth (123) Ponceau 4R – red berry/cherry flavours/jellies (124) Brilliant Black – blackcurrant flavours/sauces (151) Brown HT – chocolate flavourings/sauces (155)

Common preservatives

Benzoates – fruit juice/drinks (210, 211, 212, 213)

Sulphites – wine/sausages/fruit juices/flours/pickles (220,221,222,223,224,225,228)

Gallates (antioxidants) – oils and fats (310,311,312)

Foods containing salicylates

In addition some aspirin-sensitive individuals react to foods containing salicylates. All fresh meat, fish, shellfish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, cereals and bread are low in salicylates. See below for a breakdown on type and levels of salicylates in various foods.

Vegetables

Low – bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, brussel sprouts, red cabbage, green cabbage, celery, chickpeas, chives, choko, kidney beans, leeks, lentils, lettuce, lima beans, fresh peas, dried peas, peeled potatoes, shallots, swedes.

Moderate – asparagus, green beans, beetroot, carrots, cauliflowers, kumera, marrows, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, unpeeled potato, pumpkin, sweetcorn, turnips.

High – alfalfa sprouts, broad beans, broccoli, cucumbers, eggplant, spinach, watercress.

Very high – capsicums, courgettes, gherkins, olives, radishes, tomato and tomato-based foods, potato skins.

Fruits

Low – Golden Delicious apples, bananas, peeled pears, paw-paws.

Moderate – Red Delicious apples, grapefruits, kiwifruits, lemons, mangoes, passion fruit, pears with skin, persimmon rhubarb, tamarillo, watermelons.

High – Granny Smith apples, gala apples, cherries, lychees, mandarins, peaches.

Very high – apricots, berry fruits, grapes, oranges, plums, pineapples, rock melon, all dried fruit (sultanas raisins prunes dates etc.) all jams /jellies /marmalades, fruit juices.

Other foods

Low – garlic, parsley, soy sauce, malt vinegar, cashew nuts, poppy seeds, cocoa, carob sugar, golden syrup, chocolate, camomile tea, dandelion tea, coffee, tonic water, gin, vodka, whisky.

Moderate – nuts, coconut, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, beer, cider, sherry, brandy.

High – honey, marmite, vegemite, coffee, wine, port, fruit teas.

Very high – herbs and spices (e.g. curry powder, oregano, turmeric) white vinegar, Worcester sauce, tea, peppermint tea, rum, liqueurs.

To test this out stick to low foods for a 2 week period, then try adding in moderate foods again for 2 weeks. If no worse test out high foods in the same way and then the very high. Please report any reactions.