Key takeaways:
Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) can raise your blood pressure. But this change is usually small.
If you have high blood pressure or heart problems, make sure to check with your healthcare provider before taking ibuprofen.
Using ibuprofen regularly can cause potentially serious side effects, such as stomach ulcers. So, it’s always best to take the smallest dose you need and avoid using it long-term, if possible.
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Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) belongs to a group of medications called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). It’s commonly used to treat mild to moderate pain and fever. And ibuprofen is also FDA-approved to treat menstrual cramps, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and osteoarthritis (OA).
Ibuprofen can be found in the over-the-counter (OTC) section at the pharmacy. It’s also available in higher doses with a prescription from a healthcare provider. But if you have high blood pressure, you may have heard that ibuprofen can raise your blood pressure. This may leave you wondering if it’s safe to take.
Read more to find out how ibuprofen raises blood pressure and by how much.
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What does ibuprofen do to the body?
NSAIDs, like ibuprofen, relieve pain and inflammation (swelling) by blocking the effects of substances in our body called prostaglandins.
Prostaglandins play several important roles in our bodies. They’re most known for helping to create pain, fever, or inflammation when we’re injured or sick. But prostaglandins also affect the widening and narrowing of our blood vessels, the protection of our stomach lining, and blood clotting.
By blocking the effects of prostaglandins, ibuprofen helps relieve pain, fever, and inflammation. But because prostaglandins have other functions, ibuprofen can cause a number of side effects. This includes raising blood pressure.
How much does ibuprofen raise your blood pressure?
Studies have looked at how much NSAIDs affect systolic blood pressure (SBP). SBP is the top number when measuring blood pressure. It’s estimated that a person’s SBP will go up by an average of 5 mmHg after taking NSAIDs like ibuprofen.
Other research shows similar results. A review of five studies specifically looked at the effect of ibuprofen on blood pressure. This review found that ibuprofen raised SBP by about 3 to 4 mmHg. The people in these studies took ibuprofen for at least 4 weeks.
A more recent study compared blood pressure changes in over 400 people with RA or OA using NSAIDs for 4 months. Most people were also taking blood pressure medication. Ibuprofen caused a greater rise in blood pressure compared to celecoxib and naproxen (two other NSAIDs). The SBP in people taking ibuprofen rose by about 4 mmHg. In addition, almost 1 in 4 people developed hypertension (chronic high blood pressure) after taking ibuprofen consistently for 4 months.
Do all versions of ibuprofen (Advil PM, Advil Migraine, Motrin, etc.) impact blood pressure?
Ibuprofen comes in different forms and is found in many medications. There are no studies comparing the impact of the different versions of ibuprofen on blood pressure. But since all those medications contain ibuprofen, they most likely also affect blood pressure.
So, regardless of which version of ibuprofen you take, make sure that you follow the recommended dose limits. The maximum recommended daily dose for OTC ibuprofen is 1,200 mg. If your healthcare provider has prescribed ibuprofen for you, follow their instructions carefully. And be careful not to take any other OTC products that contain ibuprofen.
Ask your pharmacist if you’re unsure how much ibuprofen your medications contain.
Does children’s ibuprofen raise blood pressure in children?
Ibuprofen can also be used to treat pain and fever in children over the age of 6 months. You may wonder, though, how safe it is to give to children.
There aren’t many studies looking at the effect of ibuprofen on blood pressure in children. But ibuprofen is generally considered safe in children. The rare side effects observed in children taking ibuprofen include stomach discomfort and bleeding, asthma attacks, and allergic reactions.
If your child has high blood pressure or a heart condition, it’s best to ask their pediatrician if it’s OK for them to take ibuprofen.
How can I tell if ibuprofen is raising my blood pressure?
Most of the time, you don’t feel symptoms when your blood pressure is high. So, one way to check if ibuprofen is raising your blood pressure is to measure it with a blood pressure monitor at home. This is especially important if you have high blood pressure.
You may already know your average blood pressure. Or you may have a range your healthcare provider told you to watch for at home. But if you don’t know your usual blood pressure numbers, that’s OK. To get a good average measure of your blood pressure, try to measure it twice in the morning and again at night, for one week.
Ideal blood pressure levels can vary based on your age, lifestyle, and health conditions. It’s best to ask your healthcare provider what blood pressure is considered ideal for you.
What other risks are there with taking ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) every day?
Besides raising your blood pressure, taking ibuprofen every day comes with a risk of other side effects. These side effects can become serious. So it’s best to discuss them with your healthcare provider before starting a regular ibuprofen regimen.
Gastrointestinal discomfort and bleeding
Because of its effect on prostaglandins, ibuprofen raises the risk of stomach ulcers and stomach bleeding. Your risk of stomach bleeding goes up if you also take an anticoagulant (blood thinner).
To help with stomach discomfort, take ibuprofen with food. If this doesn’t help, ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider to recommend an OTC medication to help relieve stomach upset. If you’ve been told to take ibuprofen regularly by your healthcare provider, you should discuss longer-term options to help protect your stomach and digestive tract.
Higher risk of serious bleeding
Although ibuprofen isn’t considered a blood thinner, it carries a risk of serious bleeding. This risk is usually low. But there are some people who should be more cautious when taking NSAIDs.
While ibuprofen has a low risk of liver damage, you should avoid it if you have liver cirrhosis (liver scarring). People with liver cirrhosis have a higher risk of bleeding when taking NSAIDs.
NSAIDs, like ibuprofen, also interfere with platelets’ abilities to stop bleeding. Platelets are a blood cell that help keep bleeding in check. So if you have a history of thrombocytopenia — when you have low platelets in your blood — ibuprofen may raise your risk of bleeding.
Heart attacks and heart failure
Multiple studies have looked at whether ibuprofen and other NSAIDs raise the risk for heart problems. They’ve all found that ibuprofen (especially doses of 2,400 mg per day or more) raises the risk of heart attacks. NSAIDs have also been linked to a higher risk of hospitalizations in people who live with heart failure.
If you have a history of heart problems, speak with your healthcare provider before taking ibuprofen or other NSAIDs.
Asthma attacks
If you have asthma and often get nasal polyps or sinus inflammation, speak with your healthcare provider before taking any NSAIDs. People with these conditions have a higher risk of experiencing uncontrolled asthma symptoms when taking aspirin or other NSAIDs. This includes ibuprofen.
Kidney damage
By blocking prostaglandins, ibuprofen narrows the blood vessels in our kidneys. Over time, this can cause kidney damage. People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are more at risk for this complication. But this kidney damage is usually reversible once you stop taking ibuprofen.
How many days in a row can you take ibuprofen?
For pain, you can take OTC ibuprofen safely for 10 days. With fevers, you shouldn’t take it longer than 3 days. If your pain or fever lasts longer than that, or gets worse after starting ibuprofen, stop taking it and contact your healthcare provider.
If you have a prescription for ibuprofen, follow your provider’s instructions. Make sure to ask them how long you should take it.
Is it safe to take ibuprofen if I have hypertension?
Studies have shown that ibuprofen raises blood pressure for people with hypertension. This may also be true for people taking blood pressure medications. In studies, these blood pressure changes are usually small. But they do happen.
Because of this, some experts recommend that people with hypertension avoid taking NSAIDs. People with heart failure and CKD, including CKD caused by diabetes, also have a higher risk of experiencing blood pressure changes after taking NSAIDs.
If you have high blood pressure, it’s safer to check with your healthcare provider first before taking ibuprofen. They may prefer you take a different medication.
Is there an anti-inflammatory that doesn’t raise blood pressure?
Most NSAIDs can raise blood pressure to different degrees. That said, naproxen affects blood pressure less than ibuprofen. But it still shares other similar side effects with ibuprofen — like kidney damage and stomach bleeding. Make sure to ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider if it’s OK for you to take any NSAIDs if you have high blood pressure.
The bottom line
Although it’s generally a safe and accessible option to treat pain, ibuprofen can cause many side effects. High blood pressure is one of those possible risks. If you have high blood pressure, make sure to check with your healthcare provider or pharmacist before you take ibuprofen. If needed, they can recommend another medication to help manage your symptoms.
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References
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