Not all medications are prescribed ones: with a trip to the average pharmacy or convenience store, there’s an awful lot of medication that people can buy over-the-counter if they are feeling under the weather or below the bridge.

Are all over-the-counter medications a good idea for bridge players?

Not necessarily.

While it’s tempting to reach for things like aspirin or caffeine as a bridge player before a game, regular and everyday medications can have serious, sometimes fatal side-effects.

Care is required with any medication, especially ones that are easily available.

Always check with your medical professional before incorporating any medication into your routine. Even better, make a doctor’s appointment if you have been postponing games because of feeling ill.

Here are 3 over-the-counter medications that could be dangerous to a bridge player’s health.

1. Aspirin

Aspirin is one of the world’s most common pharmaceutical ingredients. Available almost anywhere, aspirin-containing medication is recommended for pain and fever. It’s also listed as an essential medication by the World Health Organization.

The danger lies in its potential effect: aspirin is a powerful blood-thinner. Aspirin can also worsen (or even cause) bleeding and ulcers.

Yes, regular aspirin has the potential to be deadly.

2. Caffeine

Caffeine is a common substance in esports, where competitors are sure that a caffeine buzz gives them an awareness that other players don’t have. At best, caffeine keeps bridge players and students everywhere awake and jittering for long periods at a time.

Drinks contain vast amounts, but caffeine is also available in pill or powdered form. Caffeine-powered candy is also available, but only if you want a chocolate bar that practically wires you to the ceiling and sets your hair on fire.

Caffeine is also a component found in many over-the-counter medication, especially ones taken for colds, flu, or pain. Always check and research the ingredients in your medication. A little bit of research could save your life.

If you are taking a combination of caffeine products, it’s easy to forget that medication contains more of it. When you are ill, stop the consumption of caffeine products if you intend to take medication together with it.

Caffeine can also trigger other issues, including the causation or worsening of stomach ulcers (and once again, bleeding).

While you can buy enough caffeine for a week’s worth of buzzing at the average gas station, don’t: just take my advice for it.

3. NSAIDs

If you have recently injured yourself or you have chronic conditions to begin with, you might hear the term NSAIDs a lot more.

The term is short for Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, and describes a great deal of different medications that includes your regular dose of ibuprofen.

There’s a massive (and yes, really massive) list of physical conditions that aren’t advised to take NSAIDs at all. Other than this, average consumers are advised to be careful with it, too. 

The long-term effects of NSAID usage can include, once again, ulcers and bleeding. Effects can also, eventually, worsen pain more than eases it. Tolerance is also possible, in which case the recommended dosage stops doing as much as it should. With chronic health conditions, this is an obvious problem.

Should you take NSAIDs? Speak to your doctor first, and consider alternatives where long-term pain management is required.

What have you learned about the use of over-the-counter medication in your time playing bridge?