Mixing Ibuprofen and Alcohol: What Are the Risks?

If you are unsure about the details of any medication you take, it is best to speak with your healthcare provider or pharmacist. While a small amount of alcohol may be okay to consume around the same time as the medication, this can depend on factors like age and overall health. Ask them when it is safe to consume alcohol again after taking ibuprofen. You may need to wait up to 72 hours after taking the medication to have a drink.

While it might seem like a good idea to relieve pain with ibuprofen and relax with a glass of wine or a cold beer, it’s best to keep alcohol and ibuprofen separate. Although the risk of kidney problems is low in healthy people who only occasionally take ibuprofen, the drug can be dangerous for people who already have reduced kidney function. The likelihood of experiencing side effects is 8 smart tips for successfully managing stress particularly high with long-term use of ibuprofen, or regular, heavy alcohol use. According to the National Health Service in the United Kingdom, it is usually safe to use pain relievers, including ibuprofen, when drinking a small amount of alcohol. A person may experience side effects when mixing alcohol and ibuprofen. Taking ibuprofen with moderate alcohol consumption should be safe.

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Consuming a small amount of alcohol while taking ibuprofen is considered to be generally safe. However, it is extremely important to be careful when doing so and avoid it when possible. In fact, it would be wise to avoid drinking alcohol while taking any pain reliever. Ibuprofen is a pain reliever that is used for common, every day pain relief.

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That means you’ll want to think twice before you take ibuprofen with a glass of wine or a cocktail. Ibuprofen is a type of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug , a class of drugs designed to alleviate inflammation, relieve pain, and reduce fevers. The medication is sold over the counter under various brand names, including Advil, Motrin, and Midol. When experiencing aches and pain while drunk or during a hangover, reaching for the ibuprofen may come with the risk of harmful side effects if not taken correctly. Most people think of ibuprofen as a safe occasional pain reliever. However, there are situations when taking it can be harmful to your health.

For long time treatment, doctors will usually offer alternatives that are safer to take often. It is also essential to carefully read medication labels as ibuprofen is common in many headaches, colds, and prescription medicines. Remember to follow directions on the bottle carefully and seek professional medical advice before ever attempting to combine the two, even with small amounts of alcohol. Someone who mixes alcohol and ibuprofen might increase the risk of kidney damage. That’s because the reduction in prostaglandins decreases the amount of blood flowing in the kidneys and the ability to filter out alcohol. Many of us know that mixing alcohol and any medication has risks.

Additionally, blood flow may reduce, and a vital cardiac blood vessel may close early and risk the life and health of the fetus. In practice, an occasional small amount of alcohol, such as a glass of table wine or light beer with dinner, won’t negatively interact with ibuprofen. Nevertheless, each person’s circumstances differ, and only one’s health care provider can advise how long to delay drinking alcohol after taking ibuprofen. A person should stay home and rest after accidentally consuming alcohol and taking ibuprofen.

Alan Carter, PharmDAnswers represent the opinions of our medical experts. All content is strictly informational and should not be considered medical advice. For a long time, nature has been seen as a balm to the problems we face in society.

Duexis relieves arthritis pain without upsetting your stomach. Ibuprofen is in a drug class known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs . Advil not only treats these issues, but it also reduces fever. They protect the digestive tract’s mucous lining from irritants. They also help your kidneys filter out damaging elements from the blood. People with chronic pain, who are more likely to take high doses of ibuprofen.

The combination of ibuprofen and alcohol only speeds up this process since both products stress the liver. Anyone who has ever had a hangover knows that alcohol can cause some pretty unpleasant side effects. Headache, nausea and fatigue are just a few of the common symptoms. Many people reach for the ibuprofen when they’ve had too much to drink, but mixing the two might create multiple health issues. If you are struggling with alcohol misuse or AUD, you are not alone.

What happens if you drink alcohol with Ibuprofen?

This is one of the many reasons why a person should not use ibuprofen to relieve a hangover. The chances of suffering from serious side effects are high, particularly with long-term use of ibuprofen and heavy alcohol consumption. People have been using alcohol washington area intergroup association to manage pain for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians and Greeks used beer and wine to treat a variety of medical ailments, including childbirth pain, wounds and headaches. Alcohol is not necessarily safe just because it is easy to get and use.

A standard drink in the United States is about .6 ounces of alcohol, which can translate to one shot, 12 ounces of beer, or five ounces of wine. Moderate drinking in assigned males is two drinks or less a day, and for assigned females is one drink or less per day. This can lead to the onset of acute kidney injury , also known as acute renal failure. Always talk to your doctor about any other medications or supplements you’re taking, and how they could interact with ibuprofen. However, if you binge drink often or have a condition like liver disease that causes you to process alcohol more slowly, alcohol can stay in your system even longer.

Although they’re widely available, NSAID medications do carry some risk. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you should simply put up with pain. Working with a healthcare professional can minimize the harmful side effects of high-dose or chronic painkiller use. The problem with ibuprofen and alcohol consumption is that alcohol is a digestive irritant. With more acid in your digestive tract and less protection against it, you’re more susceptible to damaging your delicate tissues. Ibuprofen is a common pain reliever used for everything from headaches to strained muscles.

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People who have health conditions should talk with a doctor about their medications and alcohol consumption to determine what is safe for them. Drinking alcohol only in moderation can prevent unwanted side effects. According to the CDC, moderate drinking means a maximum of one drink for women and two drinks for men per day. At New Choices Treatment Centers, we know that recovery isn’t about getting a certificate, it’s about finding new ways to approach life’s problems. Our Camino Pathways Program builds a personalized treatment program that will provide you all the tools you need to transform your life. Mixing medications with alcohol can make the medication less effective while at the same time making the side effects of those substances worse.

It’s important to know the potential side effects of the medicine and how those side effects are affected by drinking alcohol. If in doubt, it’s best to avoid mixing ibuprofen and alcohol together. Better yet, speak with your healthcare provider about the amount of ibuprofen and alcohol you consume. Your healthcare provider can help you assess your actual risk so that you are not placed in harm’s way. Moreover, mixing the substances can increase your risk for side effects ranging from an upset stomach to dizziness to gastrointestinal bleeding. Ibuprofen and other NSAID medications can increase the risk for stomach ulcers and stomach bleeding.

  • Mixing alcohol and ibuprofen makes these symptoms worse, making driving or using any machinery very dangerous.
  • Your healthcare provider can help you assess your actual risk so that you are not placed in harm’s way.
  • This makes it a convenient choice to relieve common pain, swelling, and fever.
  • Even a small amount of alcohol after taking ibuprofen is risky, and the more your drink the higher the risks are.
  • This affects mood, slows reflexes and may compromise a person’s balance.

Following these precautions can reduce your risk of side effects. Ibuprofen works to reduce pain, and it can help a person feel relaxed. In astudyof more than 1200 patients, it was revealed that the regular use of ibuprofen increased the risk of stomach and intestinal bleeding in those who consumed alcohol. People who used ibuprofen infrequently and drank alcohol were not found to have an increased risk. In fact, the National Institutes of Health revealed that ibuprofen and alcohol can worsen the usual side effects of this medicine.

Is it safe to drink alcohol with Ibuprofen?

There is evidence that alcohol can increase the risk and/or severity of GI bleeding in ibuprofen users. People with substance use disorder or mental health conditions, who may have higher alcohol intake. People who drink heavily or who take ibuprofen frequently are at increased risk for negative interactions between the two, says Conroy. People who take ibuprofen and other NSAIDs regularly are more likely to experience heart attack and stroke, compared with people who don’t take these medications.

These illnesses include depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. If you struggle with AUD and any mental illness , it’s vital to seek comprehensive co-occurring disorder treatment. If you’re a healthy person who accidentally mixes ibuprofen and alcohol, you’ll likely be fine. In addition to the above serious interactions, ibuprofen can cause negative side effects if it’s taken with any of more than 300 medications. The risk is even greater for people who drink more than three drinks a day while also taking ibuprofen.

A good rule of thumb is to avoid taking ibuprofen within the day following alcohol consumption. An occasional misjudgment in timing would likely not prove to be harmful. Specific demographics may be more likely to abuse alcohol and ibuprofen or experience worse negative interactions. After a night of drinking, anyone reaching for a pain reliever should think twice about whether or not it’s worth the risk.

Combining the two can make a person drowsy, leading to extreme tiredness, decreased alertness, and the inability to function normally. Mixing alcohol and ibuprofen makes these symptoms worse, making driving or using any machinery very dangerous. Taking these two substances may also simultaneously potentially lead to kidney failure. Kidneys work to filter harmful fluids from the body, especially alcohol. Frequent and excessive alcohol intake strains the kidneys significantly. Misuse and abuse of ibuprofen are proven to lead to a higher risk of stomach ulcer bleeding, drug dependence, and even overdose.

If you have asthma, ibuprofen can make your asthma symptoms worse. High doses or long-term use of ibuprofen may also lead to kidney failure, heart attack, or stroke. According to some studies, daily the most important things you can do to help an alcoholic use of ibuprofen leads to a higher risk of intestinal bleeding in people who drank alcohol. People with high consumption of alcohol but occasional use of ibuprofen were far away from the risk.