# Aspirin in Nigeria

- Source: https://ogbogwu.com/drugs/aspirin/
- Drug class: Salicylate NSAID / antiplatelet (Blood Thinners)
- Also known as: Acetylsalicylic acid, ASA, Emprin, Avroprin
- Prescription required: no
- On the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines
- Last updated: September 2026

## Price in Nigeria

As of September 2026, Aspirin tablets sells for about ₦309 per tablet online in Nigeria (packs ₦7,000–₦29,550) across MedPlus and Supermart.ng. The online price is roughly unchanged since July 2026. Open-market prices (e.g. Idumota, Ogbogwu) are often lower.

## What is Aspirin?

Aspirin, or acetylsalicylic acid, is one of the oldest medicines still in everyday use and one of the few that does two quite different jobs depending on the dose. At 300mg it is a painkiller and fever reducer, familiar to most Nigerians through Emprin and through the aspirin-and-caffeine sachet powders such as Alabukun that sell in enormous quantities in markets and motor parks. At 75mg or 100mg once a day it is not really a painkiller at all — it is a blood thinner, taken for years at a time to stop a second heart attack or stroke.

The difference is not marketing. Aspirin permanently switches off an enzyme inside platelets, the cells that make blood clot. A platelet cannot repair that damage, so a single small daily dose keeps the blood slightly less sticky for the platelet's whole lifespan of about a week. Higher doses add pain and inflammation relief by acting on the same enzyme elsewhere in the body, but they do not thin the blood any further — they only add to the risk of bleeding and stomach damage. This is why a cardiologist prescribes 75mg and not 300mg.

Aspirin is registered with NAFDAC in several forms in Nigeria, from locally made tablets by Emzor, Avro Pharma and SKG-Pharma to Bayer's imported Aspirin Cardio. It is sold over the counter, which is both its great advantage and its main danger: the people most likely to be harmed by it — those with ulcers, bleeding problems, or asthma, and children with a fever — can buy it as easily as anyone else.

## What is Aspirin used for?

- Preventing a further heart attack, stroke or clot in people who have already had one (secondary prevention, 75-100mg daily)
- Keeping coronary stents open, almost always taken together with clopidogrel for a period after the procedure
- Emergency treatment during a suspected heart attack, where a single 300mg tablet is chewed while waiting for help
- Mild to moderate pain and fever at 300-600mg, including headache, toothache, period pain and muscular pain
- Reducing the risk of pre-eclampsia in pregnancies assessed as higher risk, at low dose and under antenatal supervision

## Dosage

Always follow a doctor's or pharmacist's instructions; this is general reference information.

- Adults: For long-term heart and stroke protection the dose is 75mg to 100mg once daily, taken with or just after food. For pain or fever the dose is 300mg to 600mg every four to six hours, up to a maximum of 4g in twenty-four hours, and should not be continued for more than a few days without advice. In a suspected heart attack, a single 300mg tablet chewed rather than swallowed whole gets into the blood fastest — call for emergency help first, then chew it.
- Children: Aspirin must not be given to children or teenagers under 16 with a fever or a viral illness such as flu or chickenpox, because of the risk of Reye's syndrome, a rare but frequently fatal swelling of the brain and liver. Use paracetamol or ibuprofen for children instead. The only exceptions are specific conditions such as Kawasaki disease, where a specialist prescribes and supervises it.
- Elderly: Older adults get the same benefit from low-dose aspirin but bleed more easily, particularly from the stomach. Doctors often add a stomach-protecting medicine, and will weigh the bleeding risk carefully before starting aspirin in someone who has never had a heart attack or stroke.

Low-dose aspirin is a long-term medicine — it works by being taken every day, not by being taken when you feel unwell. Do not stop it on your own, especially in the first year after a stent, because stopping suddenly raises clot risk sharply. Take it with food to reduce stomach irritation, and swallow dispersible tablets dissolved in water. Tell any dentist, surgeon or doctor that you take aspirin before any procedure.

## Side effects

Common: Stomach irritation, indigestion or heartburn — the most frequent reason people stop taking it; Nausea and mild abdominal discomfort; Bruising more easily than usual, and small cuts bleeding for longer; Nosebleeds and bleeding gums when brushing; Ringing in the ears (tinnitus), usually a sign the dose is too high.

Serious (seek medical help immediately): Bleeding from the stomach or gut: black tarry stools, vomiting blood or material like coffee grounds, or severe stomach pain — seek care urgently; Signs of bleeding in the brain: sudden severe headache, weakness on one side, confusion, or loss of vision or speech — this is an emergency; Severe allergic reaction, including swelling of the face or throat, rash or collapse; Wheezing or breathlessness in people with aspirin-sensitive asthma, which can be sudden and severe; Reye's syndrome in a child or teenager given aspirin during a viral illness: persistent vomiting, drowsiness, confusion or seizures.

When to see a doctor: Go to hospital immediately for black or tarry stools, vomiting blood, sudden severe headache, or one-sided weakness. Stop and seek advice if you develop wheezing after taking aspirin, or ringing in the ears. See your doctor or pharmacist if heartburn or stomach pain becomes a regular feature — that is treatable and is not a reason to quietly abandon a medicine protecting you from a stroke. Never give aspirin to a feverish child; if it has already been given and the child becomes drowsy or keeps vomiting, treat that as an emergency.

## Warnings

Do not take if: Do not give to children or teenagers under 16 with fever or a viral illness, because of the risk of Reye's syndrome; Do not take if you have an active stomach or duodenal ulcer, or a history of bleeding from the gut; Do not take if you have haemophilia or another bleeding disorder, or severe liver or kidney disease; Do not take if aspirin or another NSAID has ever caused you asthma, wheezing, hives or facial swelling; Avoid in the last three months of pregnancy unless a doctor has specifically prescribed low-dose aspirin.

Interactions: Warfarin and other anticoagulants — the combination raises bleeding risk substantially and needs medical supervision; Clopidogrel — deliberately combined after a stent, but only for a defined period decided by a cardiologist; Ibuprofen and other NSAIDs — regular use can block low-dose aspirin's heart protection and adds to stomach risk; take ibuprofen well after the aspirin if it is unavoidable; Methotrexate — aspirin raises its levels and toxicity; ACE inhibitors such as lisinopril, and diuretics — aspirin can blunt their effect and strain the kidneys; Alcohol — significantly increases the chance of stomach bleeding; Some diabetes medicines — aspirin at higher doses can lower blood sugar further.

Pregnancy & breastfeeding: Full-dose aspirin should be avoided in pregnancy, and particularly in the third trimester, where it can affect the baby's circulation and prolong labour and bleeding. Low-dose aspirin is a different matter: it is deliberately prescribed at antenatal clinics to women assessed as being at higher risk of pre-eclampsia, usually started before 16 weeks and continued until near delivery. Take low-dose aspirin in pregnancy only when a doctor or midwife has prescribed it, and do not start it on your own. Small amounts pass into breast milk, so regular aspirin is generally avoided while breastfeeding — paracetamol is the usual alternative.

## Brands in Nigeria

Well-known NAFDAC-registered brands: Emprin (Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries, made in Nigeria); Avroprin-75 (Avro Pharma, made in Nigeria); ASA 75 (SKG - Pharma, made in Nigeria); Aspirin Cardio (Bayer Nigeria, made in Germany); Alabukun Powder (Copac Nig Ltd, made in Nigeria).
Full searchable brand list: https://ogbogwu.com/drugs/aspirin/brands/

## How to verify it is genuine

1. Check for a NAFDAC registration number on the pack — every genuine aspirin brand sold in Nigeria must carry one
2. Verify the number in the NAFDAC Green Book or the NAFDAC verification app, which is quick and free
3. Check the strength before you buy: 75mg and 100mg are heart doses, 300mg is a painkiller dose, and the two are not interchangeable
4. Buy from a licensed pharmacy or registered patent medicine vendor rather than a hawker, particularly for daily long-term use
5. Check the expiry date and that the blister or sachet is intact; aspirin that smells strongly of vinegar has broken down and should be discarded
6. For sachet powders, remember these are usually aspirin combined with caffeine — read the ingredients if you are already taking aspirin for your heart

Verify any NAFDAC number free (no login): https://ogbogwu.com/nafdac-checker/

## FAQs

### Is the 75mg aspirin the same as the one I take for headache?

It is the same drug at a very different dose, doing a different job. A 75mg tablet taken daily thins the blood to protect against heart attack and stroke; it is too weak to do much for a headache. A 300mg tablet relieves pain and fever but gives no extra blood-thinning benefit — only extra risk of stomach bleeding. If your doctor has put you on 75mg daily, do not substitute 300mg tablets because they were what the pharmacy had, and do not take extra aspirin for a headache without asking, because it stacks on top of the dose you are already on.

### Can I give aspirin to my child for fever?

No. Aspirin must not be given to anyone under 16 who has a fever or a viral illness such as flu, chickenpox or a bad cold. It is linked to Reye's syndrome, a rare condition that causes swelling of the brain and liver and is often fatal. Use paracetamol or ibuprofen instead, at the dose for the child's weight. This warning also covers the aspirin-and-caffeine sachet powders sold in markets, which are sometimes given to children for headache — they contain aspirin and carry the same risk.

### I take aspirin for my heart but it upsets my stomach. Should I stop?

Do not stop on your own, especially if you have had a heart attack, a stroke or a stent — stopping suddenly raises the risk of a clot. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist. There are usually good options: taking it with food, switching to a dispersible or coated tablet, or adding a stomach-protecting medicine such as omeprazole. What matters is that the conversation happens, because the two common outcomes of untreated stomach pain are a bleeding ulcer or a quietly abandoned tablet, and both are avoidable.

### Is Alabukun the same as aspirin?

Alabukun Powder and similar sachet remedies are aspirin combined with caffeine, registered with NAFDAC as combination products. They work as painkillers because of the aspirin in them. Two things are worth knowing: they carry every risk that plain aspirin does, including stomach bleeding and the Reye's syndrome warning for children, and if you already take low-dose aspirin daily for your heart, a sachet adds another dose on top. They are also not a treatment for the heart — the daily low-dose tablet does that job.

## Sources

- NAFDAC Greenbook (official register of approved products in Nigeria)
- WHO Model List of Essential Medicines
- British National Formulary (BNF)
- Nigerian Standard Treatment Guidelines (Federal Ministry of Health)