Patient Rights Treatment Decisions & Safety Can I Take Aspirin and Ibuprofen Together? By Michael Bihari, MD Michael Bihari, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician, health educator, and medical writer, and president emeritus of the Community Health Center of Cape Cod. Learn about our editorial process Michael Bihari, MD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Richard N. Fogoros, MD on June 24, 2016 facebook linkedin Richard N. Fogoros, MD, is a retired professor of medicine and board-certified internal medicine physician and cardiologist. He is Verywell's Senior Medical Advisor. Learn about our Medical Review Board Richard N. Fogoros, MD Updated on January 14, 2020 Print istockphoto More in Patient Rights Treatment Decisions & Safety Medical Marijuana Navigating Your Diagnosis Medical Records Managing Medical Costs Patient Advocacy Healthcare Team Hospital Stay Safety Your doctor has recommended that you take a daily aspirin to help reduce your risk of a heart attack or a stroke: Aspirin works by interfering with your blood’s ability to form dangerous clots, thus helping to prevent heart attacks and strokes. However, taking aspirin is not without risk. Aspirin can cause stomach upset and bleeding—including nose bleeds, stomach, and intestinal bleeding, and even bleeding in the brain. Taking daily aspirin is recommended only when the likely benefits greatly outweigh the likely risks in a particular individual. Low-dose aspirin is no longer recommended for use in healthy older people. Aspirin should also be avoided in children and young people under 16 years of age. Daily aspirin is often recommended for people who have had a heart attack or a stroke, who have coronary artery disease, or whose risk of developing cardiovascular disease within the next several years is judged to be high. The decision to take daily aspirin must be individualized, and always must be discussed with your doctor. It's important to learn more about whether taking a daily aspirin is right for you. Benefits and Risks of Aspirin Therapy Why Aspirin and Ibuprofen Don’t Mix According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), ibuprofen can interfere with the anti-clotting effect of low-dose aspirin (81 mg per day), potentially making aspirin less effective when it is used to help protect your heart and help prevent a stroke. The FDA recommends that you consider the following: If you use ibuprofen occasionally, there is only a minimal risk that the ibuprofen will interfere with the effect of low-dose aspirin.If you need only a single dose of ibuprofen, take it 8 hours before or 30 minutes after taking a regular (not enteric-coated) low-dose aspirin.If you need to take ibuprofen more often, talk to your doctor about medication alternatives. Your doctor may recommend a painkiller that does not interfere with the effect of low-dose aspirin. Ibuprofen belongs to a class of medications known as NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). You should not take another NSAID (such as medications containing naproxen) without talking to your doctor, since other NSAIDs may have the potential to interfere with the protective effect of low-dose aspirin. Ibuprofen and Different Types of Aspirin The FDA recommendations are only for regular (also called immediate-release) low-dose aspirin (81 mg). Ibuprofen's ability to interfere with the anti-clotting effects of enteric-coated aspirin or larger doses of aspirin (such as an adult aspirin—325 mg) is not known. Bottom Line: To be on the safe side and prevent an unwanted drug interaction, you should always talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking any over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications if you're using aspirin in any form. Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen Unlike aspirin and ibuprofen, which should not be mixed, ibuprofen (such as Motrin) and acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) can be mixed. In fact, results from one small study published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia suggest that when ibuprofen and acetaminophen are taken together (in the form of a mixed formulation called Maxigesic) by participants who had just undergone oral surgery, this combination results in superior pain relief. Wondering Whether to Take Motrin and Tylenol Together? Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. An Aspirin a Day? Not for All. American College of Cardiology. Published March 2019. Concomitant Use of Ibuprofen and Aspirin: Potential for Attenuation of the AntiPlatelet Effect of Aspirin. US Food & Drug Administration. 2006. Angiolillo DJ, Weisman SM. Clinical Pharmacology and Cardiovascular Safety of Naproxen. Am J Cardiovasc Drugs. 2017;17(2):97-107. doi:10.1007/s40256-016-0200-5 Merry AF, Gibbs RD, Edwards J, et al. Combined acetaminophen and ibuprofen for pain relief after oral surgery in adults: a randomized controlled trial. Br J Anaesth. 2010;104(1):80-8. doi:10.1093/bja/aep338 Additional Reading Borazan NH, Furst DE. Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs, Nonopioid Analgesics, & Drugs Used in Gout. In: Katzung BG, Trevor AJ. eds. Basic & Clinical Pharmacology, 13e. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2015. Merry AF, Gibbs RD, Edwards J, et al. Combined acetaminophen and ibuprofen for pain relief after oral surgery in adults: a randomized controlled trial. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 2010 Jan; 104 (1): 80-88.