Is ibuprofen (Advil) a blood thinner?
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Aug 14, 2024.
In other words, does it thin your blood?
Yes, ibuprofen (Advil) is considered a blood thinner. It doesn't actually "thin" your blood, but slows down your blood clotting time. For example, if you cut yourself or have an injury where you bleed, it may take longer for you to form a blood clot.
Risk of stomach bleeding and a stomach ulcer may also be increased if you are at risk, take prednisone or other corticosteroids, smoke or drink alcohol regularly, or take other medicines that also increase your risk of bleeding, such as: aspirin, heparin, warfarin (Coumadin), clopidogrel (Plavix), ticagrelor (Brilinta), dabigatran (Pradaxa), apixaban (Eliquis), or rivaroxaban (Xarelto).
Always have a drug interaction check performed any time you start or stop a medication. If you notice signs or symptoms of bleeding, such as red or black-colored or tarry stools, vomit that is bright red blood or looks like coffee grounds, severe stomach pain, anemia, severe headache, low blood pressure, shortness of breath, and weakness, contact your doctor immediately.
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Naproxen vs ibuprofen: What's the difference?
Ibuprofen is short acting, while naproxen is long acting and more likely to cause an upset stomach. Naproxen also increases the risk of uncontrolled bleeding in people taking blood thinners by 4-fold, and ibuprofen increases the risk 2-fold. Naproxen and ibuprofen are both NSAIDs so they are similar in many ways, but there are important differences. Continue reading
Can you take ibuprofen on an empty stomach?
Despite the common belief that you must take ibuprofen with food, you can safely take low-dose ibuprofen (up to 1200 mg daily in divided doses for 1 to 7 days) on an empty stomach, and this provides faster pain relief than taking ibuprofen with food. Food slows ibuprofen absorption time, although it doesn't affect the total amount absorbed. There is actually no scientific evidence that taking ibuprofen with food prevents stomach irritation. Over-the-counter ibuprofen doses have a low incidence of gastric problems anyway.
Continue reading
Can you take expired ibuprofen?
Although taking expired ibuprofen is not recommended by the manufacturer, the actual shelf-life is likely to be longer than that indicated by the expiry date, with FDA testing showing many drugs are active for years beyond their expiry date, although specific data on ibuprofen is not available. Within reason, an ibuprofen tablet that is a few months past its expiry date is probably safe to take. Ibuprofen that is years past its expiry date should not be taken. Continue reading
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