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Key takeaways
Nyquil Cold and Flu combines multiple cold symptom relievers. Despite having several active ingredients, it can be taken along with the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen by most people, barring complicating health conditions or other medications.
Combining ibuprofen with Nyquil Cold and Flu brings the pain—and fever-reducing qualities of ibuprofen together with the cough suppression, analgesic, antipyretic, and sleep-enhancing actions of Nyquil.
Taking ibuprofen along with Nyquil entails risks that may or may not offset any benefits by expanding the list of side effects and drug interactions, which can overlap among the meds involved.
Avoiding the use of ibuprofen and Nyquil in the setting of certain medical conditions and prescription or over-the-counter drugs that interact with them is essential to staying safe. A healthcare professional can help determine if taking the combo is right for you.
Nyquil relieves symptoms of colds, while ibuprofen reduces pain and fever. Both are popular over-the-counter medications (OTC) for alleviating the discomfort of upper respiratory infections. You are right to question whether they can be taken together because many cold remedies cannot be dosed concurrently. In this case, most people take Nyquil and ibuprofen together. That does not mean that problems can’t arise, so it is worth knowing more about this matter.
Can you take Nyquil and ibuprofen together?
Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that functions as an analgesic or pain reliever and an antipyretic or fever reducer. It is better known by its brand names, Advil and Motrin. A SingleCare discount card can help reduce prices on brand or generic drug versions.
Nyquil, on the other hand, is a combination of different ingredients aimed at alleviating common cold symptoms. Nyquil Cold and Flu contains acetaminophen to help relieve muscle aches and fever pain, dextromethorphan for cough suppression, and doxylamine, an antihistamine that causes drowsiness. Another variety, Nyquil Severe Cold and Flu, has these same ingredients, plus phenylephrine, a nasal decongestant to help alleviate flu symptoms.
Taking Nyquil and ibuprofen together can be worthwhile at times. Putting the anti-inflammatory effect of ibuprofen to work in the setting of Nyquil therapy, which does not have an NSAID, can be beneficial when battling headache, body aches, and sore throat. Likewise, adding Nyquil Cold and Flu with ibuprofen puts a cough suppressant, an antihistamine for sleep and runny nose, and an additional pain reliever to work for you. The nasal decongestant phenylephrine has recently been found to be ineffective, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so bringing it into the mix may not be worth it.
Combining ibuprofen with Nyquil has its risks. The more medications you take, the more side effects and drug interactions can occur. Additive adverse effects are also worth mentioning. For example, both ibuprofen and doxylamine can cause drowsiness, and ibuprofen and phenylephrine each have cardiovascular risks. Duplicated drug interactions are also noteworthy; for instance, acetaminophen and ibuprofen both interact with the anticoagulant warfarin, which can lead to bleeding.
Does Nyquil have ibuprofen in it?
Nyquil and ibuprofen can be taken together without any complicating health conditions or other medications. You might have noticed that Nyquil has a pain and fever reducer, which matches the effects of ibuprofen. Acetaminophen in Nyquil works via a mechanism different from ibuprofen, so the two are compatible with concurrent use. They may have additive benefits to help with a sore throat or sinus pressure discomfort. The two analgesics are different enough that if you are allergic to ibuprofen, you can still take Nyquil Cold and Flu.
Acetaminophen is the active ingredient in Tylenol as well. You should not take Tylenol or other OTC pain relievers with acetaminophen alongside Nyquil due to the risk of acetaminophen overdose. For this very reason, the FDA has issued warnings regarding the risks of acetaminophen overdose with cold medicines.
What happens if you take Nyquil and ibuprofen together?
The cumulative side effects of taking Nyquil Cold and Flu along with ibuprofen start to add up because of all the components, even more with Nyquil Severe Cold and Flu. If we look down the list of common side effects of ibuprofen and acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, doxylamine, and phenylephrine, a partial summary looks like the following:
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Rash
- Fluid retention
- Blurred vision
- Insomnia
- Tachycardia (fast heart rate)
- Urinary retention (difficulty emptying your bladder)
That list does not include the less common but more serious side effects. Among those possibilities, there is a chance of bleeding, kidney damage, liver damage, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, heart arrhythmia, and anaphylaxis. While uncommon, these are potentially life-threatening reactions that require emergency medical attention. They highlight the caution we must all take when deciding to take a drug, let alone a product that has multiple active ingredients.
The adverse effects that can occur are directly responsible for many of the cautionary warnings on ibuprofen and Nyquil. Individuals with certain health problems or who are at risk of these problems should limit or avoid the use of the drugs. Heart disease, renal or liver impairment, digestive tract problems, enlarged prostate, and dementia could all be negatively impacted by the meds. Not surprisingly, as a consequence, seniors are typically advised to steer clear of Nyquil and ibuprofen.
Duplicated drug interactions are another issue. Adding up the drugs that interact with ibuprofen or any component of Nyquil brings up quite a sum. The list of interactions would include the following classes:
- Anticoagulants
- Antihypertensives
- Antidepressants
- Anxiolytics
- Sedatives
- Anticonvulsants
- Opioids
- Stimulants
You should check with your healthcare provider to determine if taking ibuprofen and Nyquil is safe. Getting medical advice specific to your case is valuable and worth the time. Make sure to mention any prescription medications or supplements you are taking to your doctor to avoid possible interactions.
How long should I wait to take Nyquil after taking ibuprofen?
If you are given the go-ahead to take both Nyquil and ibuprofen, you can take them simultaneously if desired. The products’ OTC instructions state that each can be taken every six hours. Rather than concurrent dosing, the products could be alternated if desired. In reality, most people only take Nyquil at bedtime due to drowsiness.
Sources
- Ibuprofen drug label, NIH DailyMed (2024)
- Nyquil Cold and Flu drug label, NIH DailyMed (2012)
- Nyquil Severe Cold and Flu drug label, NIH DailyMed (2023)
- FDA clarifies results of recent advisory committee meeting on oral phenylephrine, FDA (2023)
- Don’t overuse acetaminophen, FDA (2024)
