Aspirin, also known as acetylsalicylic acid, is a medication used to reduce pain, fever, or inflammation. The recommended dosage is roughly 81mg and anything exceeding this could cause aspirin toxicity increasing your risk of Reye’s syndrome.
The exact cause of Reye’s syndrome is unknown, although several factors may play a role in its development.
Reye’s syndrome seems to be triggered by using aspirin to treat a viral illness or infection — particularly flu (influenza) and chickenpox — in children and teenagers who have an underlying fatty acid oxidation disorder, said the Mayo Clinic.
The site continued: “Fatty acid oxidation disorders are a group of inherited metabolic disorders in which the body is unable to break down fatty acids because an enzyme is missing or not working properly.
“A screening test is needed to determine if your child has a fatty acid oxidation disorder.”
Other symptoms you may have taken too much aspirin include:
- Agitation, fever, convulsions, collapse, confusion, coma
- Low blood pressure
- Rapid heart rate
- Rapid breathing
- Wheezing
- Nausea and vomiting
- Bleeding
- Hallucinations.