If you have high blood pressure can you take ibuprofen

Table of Contents Show

Who can take ibuprofen
Who may not be able to take ibuprofen
What kind of pain reliever can I take with high blood pressure?
How does ibuprofen affect blood pressure?
What blood pressure medicine Cannot be taken with ibuprofen?

People with high blood pressure, heart failure and kidney disease should avoid ibuprofen, sold under the brand names Advil and Motrin, and some other pain relievers because they can cause complications. Acetaminophen, sold as Tylenol, is the best first option, according to the Choosing Wisely campaign.

Diane Suchetka, The Plain Dealer

Some pain relievers, such as ibuprofen, can be bad for you if you have high blood pressure, heart failure or kidney disease.

The drugs are called NSAIDs, short for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and are sold under the names Advil, Motrin, Aleve and the prescription drug Celebrex.

They can cause all kinds of problems for people who have the above-listed health conditions.

They can, for example, raise blood pressure or make a body hold onto fluid, which can worsen heart failure symptoms such as shortness of breath and swollen ankles.

If you have any of these conditions it’s best to take acetaminophen, sold as Tylenol, instead. But never take more than 4,000 milligrams a day. High doses can damage the liver.

All this advice comes from

, an effort by the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation to encourage doctors, patients and other health care workers to talk about medical tests, procedures and treatment that might be unnecessary or could cause harm.

Talk to your doctor first before taking any medical advice.

And look for details on the Choosing Wisely campaign at

where Consumer Reports explains them in easy-to-understand language.

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@dianesuchetka.

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Who can take ibuprofen

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

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

There are new warnings being raised about combining ibuprofen with certain types of blood pressure medications. The combination may lead to permanent kidney damage.

A new report from The University of Waterloo suggests that combining ibuprofen with a diuretic and a renin-angiotensin system (RSA) inhibitor for high blood pressure could place people at risk for kidney disease. Diuretics and RSA inhibitors are commonly prescribed together for people with hypertension and are available under various pharmaceutical brand names.

Researchers from the University of Waterloo in Ontario examined the interaction of the three types of commonly-used medications. Through the use of computer-simulated drug trials, the research team found that in certain patients with specific medical profiles, the combination of all three medications can lead to acute kidney injury. And, in some cases, the injury caused by the medicine combination can be permanent, the researchers said.

The use of computer-simulated drug trials was selected by the University of Waterloo team because it can more quickly provide results than in-human studies. The university noted that its team combined mathematics and computer science in order to offer medical practitioners a head start with issues like drug complications.

Anita Layton, professor of applied mathematics at Waterloo and Canada 150 Research Chair in mathematical biology and medicine, noted that not everyone who takes this combination will have these kinds of problems. But, she said the drug combination could be enough of a problem that people should exercise caution.

“Diuretics are a family of drugs that make the body hold less water,” Layton said. “Being dehydrated is a major factor in acute kidney injury, and then the RAS inhibitor and ibuprofen hit the kidney with this triple whammy. If you happen to be on these hypertension drugs and need a painkiller, consider acetaminophen instead.”

Ibuprofen has been known to negatively impact other blood pressure medications, particularly ace inhibitors such as Vasotec or Lotensin, or beta-blockers like Lopressor. The combination of ibuprofen with these drugs has been known to cause heartburn, upset stomach and even ulcers. Ibuprofen on its own can also lead to certain side effects, such as gas or bloating, diarrhea or constipation.

The research was presented in the journal Mathematical Biosciences. In addition to Layton, the paper was co-authored by Jessica Leete, Carolyn Wang and Francisco J. López-Hernández.

What kind of pain reliever can I take with high blood pressure?

Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is often the pain reliever of choice for people with high blood pressure (hypertension) because most other options are types of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) or naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve), which can raise blood pressure.

How does ibuprofen affect blood pressure?

Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) can raise your blood pressure. But this change is usually small. If you have high blood pressure or heart problems, make sure to check with your healthcare provider before taking ibuprofen. Using ibuprofen regularly can cause potentially serious side effects, such as stomach ulcers.

What anti

Aspirin does not elevate blood pressure. Among nonselective NSAIDs, ibuprofen increases the risk of hypertension and stroke. Diclofenac does not increase the risk of hypertension, but does increase the risk of stroke. Naproxen (Naprosyn) does not increase the risk of hypertension or stroke.

What blood pressure medicine Cannot be taken with ibuprofen?

Both ACE inhibitors and ARBs can interact with ibuprofen. Ibuprofen can make these medications less effective at lowering blood pressure. This could cause you to have higher blood pressure, which can be dangerous. Combining ibuprofen with ACE inhibitors or ARBs can also cause kidney problems.