What is sodium salicylate?

Sodium salicylate medicine, as a prescription of salicylates, has anti-inflammatory and soothing effects in various treatments, including joint pain and inflammation, fever and muscle pain. Also, this drug can be effective in preventing some cardiovascular diseases. Sodium salicylate is an old drug that was first used in the 18th century as a treatment for malaria. This drug was quickly recognized as an effective treatment for pain and inflammation as well. In the following, we will review the pharmaceutical forms, mechanism of action, how to use, cautions and contraindications for sodium salicylate.

Pharmaceutical forms of sodium salicylate

Sodium salicylate is produced in medicinal forms of tablets, capsules, topical cream, oral solution, etc., but the main forms available in Iran are tablets.

Uses of sodium salicylate

Sodium salicylate is a pain reliever and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) in a group of drugs called salicylates. This medicine is the sodium salt of salicylic acid, with the chemical formula (C₇H₅NaO₃) and it has a shiny and white powder with a sweet taste and mild aroma, which is soluble in water, glycerol and alcohol. This drug is used in medicine to reduce pain and fever and causes apoptosis and necrosis in cancer cells. This drug is a suitable substitute for aspirin in people who are allergic to it. In addition, sodium salicylate is used as a phosphor to detect vacuum ultraviolet rays and electrons. It also acts as an inhibitor of neurofibromatosis kappa B and reduces oxidative stress.

Pharmacological effects and mechanism of action of sodium salicylate

Sodium salicylate is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and has anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving and anti-pyretic effects, which by inhibiting the cyclooxygenase enzyme reduces the production of prostaglandins. Its absorption is complete and at high speed, and it has hepatic metabolism and renal excretion (13% in conjugated or unchanged form). The half-life is 2 to 3 hours in small amounts or with single use and 5 to 18 hours in large amounts.

Sodium Salicylate dosage

The dosage of sodium salicylate depends on various factors, including the age of the patient, the patient’s health status, and the dosage form. Before taking the drug, read the drug information on the package. Take this medicine as prescribed by your doctor. Use the doctor’s prescription completely, even if you feel better. Because in some cases, stopping the medicine early will cause inflammation and disease to return. In the following, we will examine the dosage of this drug in oral and topical forms.

1. To reduce pain and inflammation, 325 to 650 mg is taken orally every 4 to 6 hours, the total amount of the drug should not exceed 4000 mg.
2. To reduce fever, 325 to 650 mg orally every 4 to 6 hours is used, with a total dose not to exceed 4,000 mg.
3. For the prevention of heart attack and stroke, 75 to 325 mg once a day is used only with a doctor’s prescription.
4. Also, in case of taking topical medicinal forms, apply an appropriate amount on the wart or the desired area 1 to 2 times a day to treat warts.
5. Topical treatment of sodium salicylate, to treat corns and calluses, apply a sufficient amount of medicine on the desired corn or callus 1 to 2 times a day.
6. Topical treatment of sodium salicylate, for the treatment of acne, apply to the skin 1 to 3 times a day in the appropriate amount according to the doctor’s prescription or the medication information on the package.

Precautions

Before taking sodium salicylate, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it or any other ingredient in the medicine. This medicine may contain inactive ingredients that can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Before taking this pill, warn your doctor about your medical history, including blood pressure, kidney disease, liver disease, lung disorders, digestive problems (including stomach ulcers, esophageal ulcers, intestinal pain) and… It is also not recommended to use this medicine during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

1. Before taking this medication, be aware that an NSAID can increase your risk of a fatal heart attack or stroke, even if you have no other risk factors. Do not use this medicine right before or after heart bypass surgery (coronary artery bypass graft or CABG).
2. NSAIDs may also cause stomach or intestinal bleeding, which can be fatal. These conditions sometimes occur without warning when sodium salicylate is used, especially in the elderly.
3. If you are pregnant, you should not take this medicine unless your doctor tells you to. Taking NSAIDs in the last 20 weeks of pregnancy can cause serious heart or kidney problems in the fetus and possible complications in your pregnancy.
4. Do not give sodium salicylate to a child under 12 years of age without medical advice. Also, do not give this medicine to a child or teenager with fever, flu symptoms or chicken pox. Salicylates cause Reye’s syndrome in some patients, which is a serious and sometimes fatal disease in children.
5. If you have anemia, fluid retention, high blood pressure, heart disorders, gout, liver and kidney disorders, hypoprothrombinemia, vitamin K deficiency, history of allergic reactions, thyrotoxicosis, etc., this medicine should be taken with caution.

Contraindications for sodium salicylate

1. The presence of gastrointestinal ulcers
2. Active bleeding
3. Hemophilia and other coagulation disorders
4. Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Sodium salicylate side effects

Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, indigestion, heartburn, bleeding from the nose or gums, headache, dizziness, tinnitus, confusion, etc. are some of the side effects of sodium salicylate. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist right away. Most people who use this drug do not experience serious side effects. Some of the serious side effects of this drug include bleeding from the nose, gums, digestive system or brain, stomach ulcers or other digestive problems (causing perforation of the stomach or esophagus), severe kidney damage, severe allergic reactions, seizures or hallucinations, etc.

1. Stomach and intestines: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, indigestion, heartburn, bleeding from the nose or gums.
2. Head and neck: headache, dizziness, tinnitus, confusion
3. Skin: itching, rash
4. Other side effects: feeling tired, fever

Drug interactions of sodium salicylate

Patients, before visiting the doctor, prepare a list of chemical and herbal medicines you use and show them to him. Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk of serious side effects. Acetaminophen drugs, urine alkalinizers such as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, citrates or sodium bicarbonate antacids, verokinase and drugs that inhibit platelet adhesion, corticosteroids and corticotropin, zidovudine, vitamin K, etc. will cause drug interactions with sodium salicylate. In the following, we discuss some of these drug interactions along with their reasons.

1. Acetaminophen (due to the increased possibility of nephropathy), sodium or potassium phosphate (decreased clearance and increased plasma level of salicylates), alcohol or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (increased risk of gastric bleeding), citrates or sodium bicarbonate antacids (increased clearance and decreased plasma level) salicylates); Dietary antidiabetic drugs, insulin (intensification of hypoglycemic effect), antinausea drugs and phenothiazines (covering the ototoxic effects of salicylates), bismuth subsalicylate (increasing the possibility of poisoning with salicylates), drugs that cause hypoprothrombinemia (sefamendol, cefprazone, cefotan, plikamycin, valpiric acid) anticoagulants ( heparin, coumarin derivatives and indanediones)
2. In addition to the above, some other drugs will reduce or increase the effects and side effects on patients. Medicines with laxative compounds (decreasing the beneficial effects of salicylates), methotrexate (decreasing the clearance of methotrexate); Medicines with oral toxicity such as vancomycin (exacerbating oral complications); Probenecid, sulfinpyrazone (decreasing the treatment effect of these drugs), vitamin K (decreasing the effect of vitamin K) and zidovudine (decreasing the clearance of zidovudine), urokinase and drugs that inhibit the adhesion of platelets (increasing the anticoagulant effect); Corticosteroids and corticotropin (increasing excretion of salicylates and worsening gastrointestinal side effects)

Consumption of sodium salicylate (Sodium Salicylate) during pregnancy and breastfeeding

Sodium salicylate is used in pregnancy only in special cases and with a doctor’s prescription. This drug can increase the risk of miscarriage, premature birth, and fetal growth problems. Animal studies on the risks of using this drug during pregnancy have shown complications and risks in the fetus. Also, specific human studies are not available to know about this process. If you are taking sodium salicylate during pregnancy, it is important to take the dose exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Overuse of this drug in some patients increases the risk of side effects.

Sodium Salicylate storage conditions

Sodium salicylate medicine should be stored in a dry place, at a temperature of 15-30 degrees Celsius and away from direct light. It is also important to keep all medications out of the reach of children, as many forms of medication (such as weekly tablets and eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and can be easily opened by young children. . Unnecessary medications should be disposed of in specific ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot ingest them.

A final word about sodium salicylate

As we said in this article from Positive Sabz online pharmacy magazine, sodium salicylate drug has been considered as an important and effective drug in the treatment of various health conditions and prevention of diseases. With sufficient information and reasonable consumption, this drug helps to improve the quality of life of people and plays an important role in preventing some diseases. But the most important thing is that its consumption should be done under the supervision of a doctor and with strict observance of his precautions and orders.