What is salsalate?
Salsalate is in a class of drugs called salicylates. It works by reducing substances in the body that cause pain and inflammation.
Salsalate is used to reduce pain and inflammation caused by conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and related rheumatic conditions.
Salsalate may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.
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Precautions
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Instructions
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Side Effects
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Interactions
Precautions
Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you
- have an allergy to aspirin or any other NSAIDs,
- have an ulcer or bleeding in your stomach,
- drink more than three alcoholic beverages a day,
- have liver or kidney disease,
- have a coagulation (bleeding) disorder,
- have congestive heart failure,
- have fluid retention,
- have heart disease, or
- have high blood pressure.
You may not be able to take salsalate, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above.
Salsalate is in the FDA pregnancy category C. This means that it is not known whether salsalate will be harmful to an unborn baby. Do not take this medication without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment.
It is not known whether salsalate passes into breast milk. Do not take this medicine without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Do not use salsalate to treat a child or teenager who has a fever, flu symptoms, or chicken pox without first talking to a doctor. In children younger than 18 years of age, salsalate may increase the risk of Reye's syndrome, a rare but often fatal condition.
Be aware of the salicylate (aspirin) content of other over-the-counter and prescription products. Care should be taken to avoid taking more than the recommended amount of salicylate per dose or per day.
Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight. Salsalate may increase the sensitivity of the skin to sunlight. Use a sunscreen and wear protective clothing when exposure to the sun is unavoidable.
Avoid alcohol during treatment with salsalate. Together, alcohol and salsalate may increase the risk of bleeding in the stomach.
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Instructions
Seek emergency medical attention.
Symptoms of an salsalate overdose include ringing in the ears, headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, confusion, hallucinations, coma, seizures, rapid breathing, and fever.
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember and do not take another dose for at least 4 hours. Do not take a double dose of the medication.
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Side Effects
Stop taking salsalate and seek emergency medical attention or contact your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following serious side effects:
- an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives);
- black, bloody, or tarry stools;
- nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain;
- uncontrolled fever;
- blood in urine or vomit;
- decreased hearing or ringing in the ears;
- seizures; or
- dizziness, confusion, or hallucinations.
If you experience any of the following less serious side effects, notify your doctor:
- heartburn or indigestion,
- faint ringing in the ears,
- drowsiness, or
- headache.
Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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Interactions
Do not take salsalate without first talking to your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines:
- an anticoagulant such as warfarin (Coumadin), heparin, enoxaparin (Lovenox), dalteparin (Fragmin), danaparoid (Orgaran), ardeparin (Normiflo), or tinzaparin (Innohep);
- a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Nuprin, others), ketoprofen (Orudis, Orudis KT, Oruvail), naproxen (Naprosyn, Anaprox, Aleve), diclofenac (Voltaren, Cataflam), nabumetone (Relafen), oxaprozin (Daypro), piroxicam (Feldene), etodolac (Lodine), fenoprofen (Nalfon), flurbiprofen (Ansaid), indomethacin (Indocin), ketorolac (Toradol), sulindac (Clinoril), or tolmetin (Tolectin); or
- another salicylate such as aspirin (Acuprin, Ecotrin, Ascriptin, Bayer, others) or choline salicylate and/or magnesium salicylate (Magan, Doan's, Bayer Select Backache Pain Formula, Mobidin, Arthropan, Trilisate, Tricosal).
You may not be able to take salsalate, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring if you are taking any of the medicines listed above.
Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with salsalate. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines, including herbal products.
Other Names
Anaflex, Argesic-SA, Disalcid, Marthritic, Mono-Gesic, Salsitab, salsalate, Amigesic, and Salflex
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Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Copyright 1996-2004 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version 2.05. Revision date 8/23/04
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