If you have a headache or you are dealing with a lot of pain, and you want to reach over and grab an OTC pain reliever to help reduce the symptoms of the pain of the headache. All you know is that you need relief as headaches are terrible to handle. But you wonder what medications are safe to mix, as you could end up with an interaction that can cause dangerous side effects.
As you may know, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications or NSAIDs, are among the most common types of OTC pain relievers. The two most common NSAIDs are naproxen sodium and ibuprofen. Ibuprofen is known as Motrin or Advil, and naproxen sodium is known as Naprosyn or Aleve. There are generic brands for both types of pain relievers, and you will want to endure you read the labels carefully when you get the medications so you do not end up mixing them inadvertently.
You Never Want To Combine NSAIDs
Both of those medications sound like they are very different, you have to remember they are NSAIDs. And you never want to combine those medications. What happens the way NSAIDs work is that they block an enzyme known as cyclooxygenase or COX, as COX is responsible for pain, fevers, and inflammation. And when the COX is blocked, that is when there is a relief.
However, COX also is responsible for blood clotting and the gastrointestinal lining of the GI lining. The unfortunate thing is that NSAIDs do not only block the COX that is responsible for fever and pain, and inflammation. It also blocks the other COX enzymes that are responsible for the GI tract and clotting. It cannot differentiate. If you take the recommended dose of one type of NSAID timed apart, then you will gain relief without having much trouble regarding the GI tract and clotting.
However, if you end up taking naproxen sodium and ibuprofen together, you could end up with internal bleeding and severe nausea, You may even vomit blood. When you take them together it will interfere with the function of your GI tract and blood clotting. And in severe cases, it can cause severe damage to the kidneys resulting in blood in the urine.
The best thing you can do is talk to your pharmacist if you are unsure of whether or not to combine different medications. You will get the advice that you need when it comes to combining different medications.
What Do You Do If You Accidentally Took Both NSAIDS Together?
The first thing you need to do if you happened to have taken both NSAIDs together is to not panic. You will want to call poison control in case there are any instructions you need to follow. They may tell you to go to your nearest ER so you can be watched. There is a good chance you may be okay and may not develop any symptoms, especially if you took them on the same day hours apart. But if you took them together, you will need to be watched to ensure that you do not develop serious side effects.
You may have your blood drawn and your blood pressure observed. If you do become nauseous there are medications that can help reduce that. And if you do happen to vomit blood, you will get the treatment that you need to help stop it. It does happen to the best of us. It is not uncommon for anyone to take two medications together that can cause serious side effects.
That is why it is always essential to talk to a pharmacist or your doctor before taking any medications, or if you are unsure if taking two medications is safe.
