Taking or using ibuprofen with other medicines and herbal supplements

Cautions with other medicines

Ibuprofen does not mix well with some medicines.

Ibuprofen applied to the skin is less likely to affect other medicines than if you take it as tablets, capsules, granules or liquid.

For safety, tell your doctor if you're taking any of these medicines before you start taking any type of ibuprofen:

• medicines that help to prevent blood clots such as warfarin
• anti-inflammatory painkillers such as aspirin, diclofenac, mefenamic acid or naproxen
• medicines for high blood pressure
• steroid medicines such as betamethasone, dexamethasone, hydrocortisone or prednisolone
• antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, norfloxacin or ofloxacin
• antidepressants such as citalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, venlafaxine, paroxetine or sertraline
• diabetes medicines such as gliclazide, glimepiride, glipizide or tolbutamide

Taking ibuprofen with other painkillers

It's safe to take ibuprofen with paracetamol or codeine.

But do not take ibuprofen with similar painkillers like aspirin or naproxen without talking to a pharmacist or doctor.

Ibuprofen, aspirin and naproxen belong to the same group of medicines called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). If you take them together, it may increase the chance of you getting side effects like stomach ache.

NSAIDs are also used in medicines you can buy from pharmacies, such as cough and cold remedies. Before taking any other medicines, check the label to see if they contain aspirin, ibuprofen or other NSAIDs.

Mixing ibuprofen with herbal remedies and supplements

It's best not to take gingko biloba with ibuprofen as it can increase the chance of bleeding.

There's not enough information to say that other herbal remedies and supplements are safe to take with ibuprofen. They're not tested in the same way as pharmacy and prescription medicines.