Can you take ibuprofen while pregnant?
No, you should not take ibuprofen during the first 20 weeks of your pregnancy unless advised to do so by your doctor. You should not take ibuprofen at all from week 20 of pregnancy (the last half of your pregnancy).
The reasons you should not take ibuprofen during pregnancy are:
- Ibuprofen is associated with a higher risk of miscarriage if used early in pregnancy
- Ibuprofen inhibits prostaglandins, which are hormone-like compounds that have several different effects in the body, including stimulating the uterus to contract, narrowing or opening up blood vessels, or influencing blood clotting to prevent bleeding
- Ibuprofen that has been taken in the last half of pregnancy (from week 20 onwards) has been associated with kidney problems in the fetus or newly born baby, and premature constriction or closure of the ductus arteriosus (this is an opening in an unborn baby's heart that allows blood to detour away from the lungs before birth. At birth it is supposed to close).
Do not take ibuprofen or other NSAIDs (examples include diclofenac or naproxen) in the last half of your pregnancy (from week 20 onwards). If you have mistakenly or inadvertently taken these medications, see your doctor, obstetrician, or midwife immediately because your unborn baby requires close monitoring to look for any narrowing of the ductus arteriosus, or kidney problems. There have been reports of these problems also occurring in pregnant women who have used topical NSAIDs (like diclofenac gel) in their last trimester of pregnancy.
As a treatment for mild-to-moderate pain during pregnancy, acetaminophen (Tylenol) is considered the drug of choice.
See also: https://www.drugs.com/pregnancy/ibuprofen.html
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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
See also:
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Drug information
- Ibuprofen Information for Consumers
- Ibuprofen prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side Effects of Ibuprofen (detailed)
- Ibuprofen user reviews (242)
Related support groups
- Ibuprofen (267 questions, 239 members)