Ibuprofen - Interactions with other medicines

When two or more medicines are taken at the same time, the effects of one medicine can be altered by the other.

This is known as a drug-drug interaction. In some cases, it may not be safe to take one medicine with another because of this interaction.

Ibuprofen, including ibuprofen products applied to the skin (such as gels), can interact with the following medicines:

aspirin – an antiplatelet medicine used to reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke
ciclosporin – used to treat inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis
colestyramine – used to treat itching
fluconazole – used to treat certain types of fungal infections
lithium – used to treat depression, mania, bipolar disorder, self-harming and aggressive behaviour
methotrexate – used to treat some types of cancer and rheumatoid arthritis
mifepristone – used to terminate pregnancy
tacrolimus – used to prevent organ rejection during organ transplants
voriconazole – used to treat fungal infections, such as aspergillosis (a range of infections that are caused by a fungal mould called aspergillus)
warfarin – an anticoagulant medicine, used to stop the blood from clotting
zidovudine – used to treat HIV

Ibuprofen can also interact with ginkgo biloba, a controversial dietary supplement some people claim can treat memory problems and dementia.

To check that your medicines are safe to take with paracetamol, you can:

Ibuprofen is a type of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). These have many interactions with other medicines, including:

Do not take more than one type of NSAID at a time or you will have an increased risk of developing side effects.