Can you drink alcohol with ibuprofen?
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Dec 10, 2024.
One glass of wine, beer, or spirits, while you are taking ibuprofen, is usually okay for most people, but moderate to excessive quantities of alcohol can increase the side effects of ibuprofen, such as stomach and digestive tract irritation and kidney disease. People with underlying medical conditions, such as liver or kidney disease, high blood pressure or heart failure, are most at risk.
This is because both alcohol and ibuprofen irritate the stomach and digestive tract, so combining them further increases the risk of ulcers and bleeding from the digestive tract. In addition, ibuprofen can affect the kidneys in some people with additional health issues, and alcohol, which can cause dehydration and make it hard for the kidneys to filter toxins, can potentiate this risk.
What are the risks?
The risks of combining alcohol with ibuprofen include an increased risk of:
- Drowsiness
- Gastric bleeding
- Gastric ulcers
- Heart attack
- High blood pressure
- Indigestion
- Kidney damage
- Nausea
- Stroke
- Vomiting.
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How long after taking ibuprofen can you drink alcohol?
Ibuprofen has a half-life of about 1.9 to 2.2 hours and experts generally agree it takes 4 to 5 half-lives for the body to eliminate a medication. This means it would take at least 10 hours for your body to clear ibuprofen. This means you should wait at least 10 hours before drinking alcohol if you have been taking regular or high doses of ibuprofen.
How long after alcohol can you take ibuprofen?
You should wait at least 24 hours after drinking alcohol before you take ibuprofen. This is because alcohol can stay in your system for about 25 hours. Women, people over the age of 65, those with liver disease, or certain ethnicities, such people of Asian descent, tend to process alcohol slower, and they should wait longer.
References
- The Dangers of Mixing Ibuprofen with Alcohol. New Choices Treatment Center. https://newchoicestc.com/blog/mixing-ibuprofen-alcohol/
- Knight J. May 28, 2022. 5 nasty side effects of mixing ibuprofen and alcohol and how long you should wait to drink after taking NSAIDs https://www.insider.com/guides/health/ibuprofen-and-alcohol
Read next
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
What's the difference between aspirin and ibuprofen?
Even though aspirin and Ibuprofen are both NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and work similarly, there are several differences between the two drugs and they are not considered interchangeable. Continue reading
Can you overdose on ibuprofen?
Despite ibuprofen having a wide safety margin, it is possible to overdose on it, but death from ibuprofen overdose is rare. Children are more susceptible to the effects of ibuprofen and likely to experience an overdosage of ibuprofen if dosages of more than 400mg/kg (in the range of 8000mg for a 20kg child [the equivalent of 40 x 200mg ibuprofen tablets]) are ingested. Studies have reported patients ingesting less than 99 mg/kg are unlikely to have symptoms. Continue reading
See also:
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- Ibuprofen Information for Consumers
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