Can you take ibuprofen with amoxicillin?

In this article:

• Can you take ibuprofen with amoxicillin?
• What happens if you take ibuprofen and amoxicillin together?
• When would you need to take amoxicillin and ibuprofen?
• Is it safe to take ibuprofen and amoxicillin? 

In this article

• Can you take ibuprofen with amoxicillin?
• What happens if you take ibuprofen and amoxicillin together?
• When would you need to take amoxicillin and ibuprofen?
• Is it safe to take ibuprofen and amoxicillin? 

Ibuprofen can be taken along with amoxicillin, but you should recognize the benefits and risks of doing so. The most popular nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), ibuprofen, is a fever-reducer and pain-reliever. Meanwhile, amoxicillin is a classic member of the penicillin antibiotic class, used in treating ear and sinus infections, pneumonia, strep throat, urinary tract infections, and skin infections. Those infections can generate pain and fever in ibuprofen’s therapeutic wheelhouse. While it’s great news that most people can take both together, understanding who should not take these medications together.

Can you take ibuprofen with amoxicillin?

Until amoxicillin clears up an infection, you may be experiencing fever or body aches, ear pain, sinus pressure, or headache. Ibuprofen, known as Advil and Motrin, can assist with pain relief and does not interact with amoxicillin. Using a SingleCare discount card at the pharmacy can help with pricing on either brand or generic drugs.

Tylenol (acetaminophen) is an alternative for pain and fever, and for some, it may be a better choice since it does not negatively impact the stomach and kidneys like NSAIDs do. Nevertheless, NSAIDs sometimes work better, which is why they are more often chosen for joint sprains, muscle strains, or menstrual pain.

Amoxicillin is not the only antibiotic for various bacterial infections nor the only antibiotic that can be coupled with ibuprofen. Each medication combination must be looked at, but most antibiotics can be taken with this NSAID. A potential exception among major classes of antibiotics, quinolones like Cipro (ciprofloxacin), could increase seizure risk when taken with ibuprofen.

What happens if you take ibuprofen and amoxicillin together?

Taking ibuprofen and amoxicillin together could get you the symptom relief you need while an infection resolves. For example, ibuprofen may lessen your sore throat, while amoxicillin treats your strep throat. Fortunately, they do not nullify the benefits of one another. However, while these drugs are common, they have the potential for serious side effects. Ibuprofen’s side effects include:

• Abdominal pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Gastrointestinal bleeding
• Fluid retention
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Heart complications
• Kidney or liver function impairment

Those are only the most notable adverse effects of ibuprofen and the NSAID class. Others absolutely exist. Adding amoxicillin into the mix as well entails its own potential side effects, too, such as the following:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• C. difficile-associated colitis
• Severe skin and allergic reactions

As you can see, these medications have overlapping side effects on the gastrointestinal tract. Sometimes, these may be minor, but the possibility of severe stomach bleeding or bowel infections exists. Watch for the onset of vomiting, bloody stools, severe diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Report these to a healthcare provider immediately. Ideally, you will want to limit the use of ibuprofen to a short timeframe to reduce the risk of some of these issues. Making sure an antibiotic is truly indicated for your infection is worthwhile, too; viral infections like the common cold and influenza do not require antibiotic treatment.

When would you need to take amoxicillin and ibuprofen?

When enduring the pain and discomfort of an ear infection, taking some ibuprofen to lessen the discomfort can be greatly beneficial, considering that it can take two or three days of antibiotic therapy to see improvement. However, not everyone should reach for ibuprofen. Ibuprofen can exacerbate various underlying medical conditions. Stomach ulcers, kidney disease, liver disease, hypertension, congestive heart failure, and heart disease are among the health problems that can worsen with ibuprofen use.

For more reasons than just avoiding potential interactions with aspects of one’s medical history, getting the professional medical advice of your doctor or pharmacist is often the best practice before adding over-the-counter medicines on top of prescription drugs. Identifying drug-drug interactions is another benefit to consulting your healthcare team. Ibuprofen alone interacts with aspirin and other blood thinners. Together, both amoxicillin and ibuprofen interact with warfarin, an anticoagulant, so taking both of them while taking warfarin carries a major risk of bleeding. Seniors should pay special attention to getting a drug interaction screening, especially since they typically take a higher number of chronic medications.

A combination cough and cold medicine can also be problematic in these situations because they include multiple active ingredients. It can be all too easy to mistakenly use two products with the same drug component, leading to an overdose. For example, someone could take ibuprofen along with Advil Cold and Sinus (pseudoephedrine and ibuprofen), which may overdo the ibuprofen dosing. Likewise, acetaminophen is in lots of cold remedies, and taking Tylenol with a product like Dayquil Cold and Flu (acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, and phenylephrine) can lead to overdose. The issue has become enough of a problem to warrant an advisory from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Is it safe to take ibuprofen and amoxicillin? 

By now, it should be clear that simultaneous usage of ibuprofen and amoxicillin can generally be deemed safe for most individuals. Exceptions may include those with kidney, liver, and heart disease. Aside from these examples, everyone should be aware of additive side effects and drug interactions when taking multiple medicines. For ibuprofen and amoxicillin, that means gastrointestinal effects. Staying safe with the use of these meds means running the decision past your medical provider and limiting ibuprofen use as much as possible.