Can i take ibuprofen with allergy medicine

Who can take ibuprofen

Most adults and young people aged 17 and over can take ibuprofen.

Table of Contents Show

Who can take ibuprofen
Who may not be able to take ibuprofen
Can you take allergy medicine with Tylenol and ibuprofen?
Can you take both ibuprofen and Claritin?
Can I mix pain relievers with allergy medicine?
What can you not take with allergy medicine?

For under-17s, read our information on ibuprofen for children.

Who may not be able to take ibuprofen

Do not take ibuprofen by mouth or apply it to your skin if you:

have ever had an allergic reaction or symptoms like wheezing, runny nose or skin reactions after taking aspirin, ibuprofen or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as naproxen
are pregnant

To make sure ibuprofen tablets, capsules, granules or liquid is safe for you, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you:

have ever had bleeding in your stomach or a hole (perforation) in your stomach caused by an NSAID
have had a hole (perforation) in your stomach, bleeding in your stomach or a stomach ulcer more than once
have a health problem that means you have an increased chance of bleeding
have severe heart failure, severe kidney failure or severe liver failure
are trying to get pregnant
have high blood pressure that's not under control
have heart disease or mild to moderate heart failure, or have ever had a stroke
have kidney or liver problems
have asthma, hay fever or allergies
have Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis
have chickenpox or shingles – taking ibuprofen can increase the chance of certain infections and skin reactions

If you're over 65, ibuprofen can make you more likely to get stomach ulcers. Your doctor will prescribe you a medicine to protect your stomach if you're taking ibuprofen for a long-term condition.

To make sure ibuprofen applied to the skin is safe for you, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have:

kidney problems
asthma, hay fever or allergies
a stomach ulcer

Page last reviewed: 18 November 2021
Next review due: 18 November 2024

In a previous blog (A Parent’s Guide to Over-the-Counter Medications), parents were given some important tips to help them safely navigate their way through the children’s pharmacy aisle. However, deciding between over-the-counter (OTC) brands and medications can sometimes be confusing and overwhelming. Today, let’s go through some of the most common fever, allergy and cold/cough medications available:

Fever and Pain:

Fever and pain in children can be safely treated with 2 medications, acetaminophen and ibuprofen. As shown in the table, each of these generic medications is marketed and sold under several, different brand names.

OVER-THE-COUNTER FEVER AND PAIN MEDICATIONS:
ACTIVE INGREDIENT	BRAND NAME	EXTRA INFORMATION
Acetaminophen	Tylenol®, PediaCare® Fever Reducer/Pain Reliever, FeverAll®, Little Fevers®, Triaminic Fever Reducer®, Tempra®	Multiple strengths available Given to children of all ages Given every 4 hours May be found in OTC cold/cough meds
Ibuprofen	Motrin®, Advil®, PediaCare® Pain Reliever/Fever Reducer IB	Multiple strengths available Given to children older than 6 months of age Given every 6 to 8 hours

Because these medications use different active ingredients and mechanisms to treat symptoms, parents can use both acetaminophen and ibuprofen (alone or in combination) to safely treat their child’s fever and pain. Of note, aspirin should not be used in children (less than 16 years of age) with viral illnesses due to an association with Reye’s syndrome, a serious and potentially life-threatening illness. Additionally, although acetaminophen can safely be used in infants and children of all ages, fever-reducing medications should not be given to babies less than 2 months of age prior to speaking with a pediatrician or healthcare provider. For more information on fever and its causes and treatment, visit here. Allergies: Children with allergic symptoms, such as an itchy/runny nose, sneezing/sniffling, or watery/pink eyes, may need to take a daily medication to help reduce their symptoms. Diphenhydramine, loratadine, cetirizine, and fexofenadine are all common antihistamines, or medications which block histamine from causing allergic symptoms. As shown in the table, many of the generic, allergy medications have several different brand names:

OVER-THE-COUNTER ALLERGIC MEDICATIONS:
ACTIVE INGREDIENT	BRAND NAME	EXTRA INFORMATION
Diphenhydramine	Benadryl®	Causes drowsiness May be found in OTC cold/cough meds Given every 4 to 6 hours
Loratadine	Claritin®, Alavert®, Allergy Relief for Kids®	Given once a day
Cetirizine	Zyrtec®, All Day Allergy Children’s®	Given once or twice a day
Fexofenadine	Allegra®	Given once or twice a day

Diphenhydramine is a quick-acting antihistamine that requires more frequent dosing and is typically used to treat shorter-acting symptoms, such as hives, itchiness, or severe allergic reactions. Additionally, because it causes drowsiness, diphenhydramine is oftentimes found in many nighttime cold and cough medications. Loratadine, cetirizine, and fexofenadine, on the other hand, can be used for more persistent or chronic allergic symptoms since they’re longer acting and only given once or twice a day. Although they use different active ingredients to treat allergic symptoms, they all similarly block histamine and should not be used in combination unless advised by your pediatrician or healthcare provider!

Cold and Cough: Triaminic®, Dimetapp®, PediaCare®, Robitussin®, Mucinex®, and Sudafed® are some of the most popular, over-the-counter cold and cough medications available today. Active ingredients, such as acetaminophen (fever reducer), brompheniramine (antihistamine), chlorpheniramine (antihistamine), diphenhydramine (antihistamine), phenylephrine (decongestant), dextromethorphan (cough suppressant), and guaifenesin (cough expectorant), either alone or in combination, are found in all of these brand-named medications. The difference between each brand (and their multiple products) lies in the “recipe” of active ingredients found in each medication. For example, Dimetapp® Multi-Symptom Cold & Flu is composed of acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, dextromethorphan, and phenylephrine, whereas Mucinex® Multi-Symptom Cold is made up of dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and phenylephrine.

OVER-THE-COUTNER COLD AND COUGH MEDICATIONS:
ACTIVE INGREDIENT(S)	BRAND NAME
Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine	Dimetapp® Multisystem Cold & Flu; PediaCare® Multi-Symptom Cold; PediaCare® Flu
Dextromethorphan, Guaifenesin, Phenylephrine	Mucinex® Multi-Symptom Cold; Mucinex® Congestion & Cough; Children’s Robitussin® Cough & Cold CF
Diphenhydramine, Phenylephrine	Dimetapp® Nighttime Cold & Congestion; Triaminic® Night Time Cold & Cough; PediaCare® Nighttime Multi-Symptom Cold
Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan	Dimetapp® Long-Acting Cough Plus Cold; Vicks® Children’s Nyquil; Children’s Robitussin® Cough & Cold Long-Acting
Phenylephrine, Dextromethorphan	Triaminic® Daytime Cold & Cough; Sudafed® PE Cold & Cough; PediaCare® Daytime Multi-Symptom Cold

It’s important to remember that over-the-counter cold and cough medications should NOT be used to treat infants and children less than 6 years of age. Research does not support or show that these medications provide any symptomatic relief or improvement in younger children, and have been associated with serious and potentially life-threatening side effects related to their use. Alternative medications and products, such as normal saline (salt water) sprays, suction bulbs/syringes/aspirators, and cool mist humidifiers, can all be safely used in young children.

If chosen and used appropriately, common, childhood symptoms and illnesses can be safely treated with over-the-counter medications. However, if your child has a chronic, medical illness or severe and persistent symptoms, you should always speak with your pediatrician or subspecialty doctor prior to starting any new medications. If your child accidentally takes too much medication or the wrong medication, call the Poison Control Hotline at 1-800-222-1222, but if he/she becomes unresponsive, stops breathing and turns blue, develops seizure-like activity, or appears very ill, call 911 and seek medical care immediately.

Can you take allergy medicine with Tylenol and ibuprofen?

Interactions between your drugs No interactions were found between ibuprofen and Tylenol Allergy Multi-Symptom. However, this does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. Always consult your healthcare provider.

Can you take both ibuprofen and Claritin?

Can I take it with painkillers? Yes, you can take loratadine together with paracetamol or ibuprofen.

Can I mix pain relievers with allergy medicine?

No interactions were found between Benadryl Allergy and Tylenol. However, this does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. Always consult your healthcare provider.

What can you not take with allergy medicine?

Different oral antihistamines such as diphenhydramine, cetirizine, loratadine, levocetirizine, desloratadine, and fexofenadine should never be taken together. Taking different oral antihistamines together can lead to an antihistamine overdose.