Ask your pharmacist: can I take ibuprofen with blood pressure medication?
One of the most common questions we get. The short answer is: usually not. Here's why, and what to take instead.
Wellsway Pharmacy
The team
This comes up almost every week. Someone with high blood pressure picks up ibuprofen for a headache or a sore back, and asks if it's safe. The honest answer: it's not ideal, and in most cases we'd recommend something else.
Ibuprofen (and other NSAIDs like naproxen) can raise your blood pressure and reduce how well your blood pressure medication works. They can also affect your kidneys, especially if you're already taking an ACE inhibitor or an ARB — which many people with high blood pressure are.
For most pain and inflammation, paracetamol is a safer choice. It doesn't affect blood pressure and is gentler on the kidneys. If paracetamol isn't enough, come and talk to us — we can suggest alternatives or check whether a short course of something stronger would be safe for you specifically.
This is exactly the kind of thing your pharmacist is here for. You don't need an appointment. Just walk in with your question.