When I try to google it I only get the information that its just bad for your health, but how exactly does it work that you can’t mix ibuprofen with alcohol? If someone could explain it in a way that makes sense that would be great, thank you
In: Chemistry
They both thin the blood. And they both irritate the stomach lining. So increased chance of gastrointestinal bleeding.
The takeaway here is you really shouldn’t mix painkillers of any type with alcohol. If you take a recommended dose and have a drink you probably will be fine, but if you take lots of painkillers for a chronic pain issue (or in general) you shouldn’t be going out to the bar and drinking all night.
Wait…you’re not supposed to mix ibuprofen and alcohol? I need to make an appointment with my doctor.
My doctor told me, keep this in mind: the four As, and two Cs, all of which increase stomach acid. A’s: Alcohol, Advil (ibuprofen) Antibiotics, Acetominiphen (Tylenol). C’s: Cigarettes, Caffeine. She said, if you combine too much of any of these things, you’ll have stomach problems. So moderate each, if you take part in any.
I just did a simple google search as well, which says that mixing alcohol with ibuprofen can cause stomach bleeding & kidney or liver problems. Now why ibuprofen would cause a persons stomach to bleed simply b/c it’s mixed with alcohol is not quite clear to me yet. Ok, so now I understand. First of all, damage to a persons health can only occur if you mix ibuprofen with alcohol for extended periods and/ or in high doses. Ibuprofen alone can cause stomach ulcers also when taken for extended periods of time &/ or at super high doses. Obviously, as you already know, alcohol consumption can also irritate the stomach. The two taken together pretty much gives a person with a queezy stomach a much higher risk of ulcers & bleeding.
FWIW I’ve been mixing them both regularly for literally 40 years and have no issues (yet LOL)
It’s fine to mix those two occasionally. It’s a little bit rough on your stomach but as long as you don’t do it too often you’re fine. Advil is my go to painkiller for hangover headaches and I’ve never had issues with my stomach.
Don’t mix Tylenol and alcohol though. It’s bad news for the liver.
Alcohol is a poison, it’s a poison most people can metabolize in small amounts, but it’s still a poison. Once it enters the bloodstream, your body has to filter it out so the body won’t take damage.
Over the counter pain meds like ibuprofen have some toxic compounds attached to them. Under normal circumstances, your body can filter out these bad compounds.
If you take Both alcohol and pain meds, your body prioritizes getting the alcohol out of your system, which leaves the toxic compounds from the pain meds in your body, specifically the liver, and causes damage.
Who says you can’t? I do it all the time. They just say that you shouldn’t.
It’s actually not a problem if you don’t have stomach problems. You’re taking two stomach irritants and that may make stomach pain worse…but so can a basket of fried jalapeños. That said, hangovers are partially from dehydration but are also significantly due to inflammation, especially hangovers from more complex distillations like older brown liquors and red wine. Taking an NSAID while still drunk/before bed can dramatically improve how you feel later.
Generally NSAIDS are very safe unless you have kidney disease and induced stomach pain will get better in a day or two or sooner with food and tums. We take them for granted but they were considered a miracle when invented. They were solid pain killers and inflammation reducers that were not narcotics, were not addictive, and were not steroids. They also reduced fever. They also were very hard to overdose on. Great stuff.
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