# If you can take ibuprofen and acetaminophen together . . . **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 29, 2018, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-can-take-ibuprofen-and-acetaminophen-together/811441 "2018-03-29T23:45:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-can-take-ibuprofen-and-acetaminophen-together/811441/1 "2018-03-29T23:45:01Z")
. . . how about aspirin and acetaminophen? I’ve read many times that you can take Tylenol together with Advil, or at least alternate between the two during the course of the day, but I don’t know if the same rule applies to aspirin. I’m getting some nasty tension headaches due to stress at work, and Tylenol is doing next to nothing for them. Maybe if I can take them together with an aspirin it would work. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-can-take-ibuprofen-and-acetaminophen-together/811441/2 "2018-03-29T23:55:26Z")
Excedrin is a combo of aspirin, acetaminophen and caffeine, so aspirin is definitely ok. Ibuprofen is also fine, I think although Im less sure. But if memory serves correctly I’ve seen pain relievers with both analgesics in them. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-can-take-ibuprofen-and-acetaminophen-together/811441/3 "2018-03-30T00:24:19Z")
Several cites seem to say similar things, but I’m not sure of the pedigree of this particular one: > [@](#): > > If you need additional pain relief, you can combine aspirin, naproxen, or ibuprofen with acetaminophen. However, do not take aspirin, naproxen, or ibuprofen within 8-12 hours of each other. [http://www.safemedication.com/safemed/PharmacistsJournal/CanYouDoubleUponPainKillers](http://www.safemedication.com/safemed/PharmacistsJournal/CanYouDoubleUponPainKillers) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-can-take-ibuprofen-and-acetaminophen-together/811441/4 "2018-03-30T00:47:50Z")
You can take acetaminophen (APAP, tylenol, non-aspirin, etc.) safely with any NSAID (aspirin, ibuprofen, indomethacin, meloxicam, naproxen, clinoril, ketoprofen, etc). Just don’t take different NSAIDs together. There’s also not any real good evidence that taking APAP with an NSAID really gives better relief of pain or fever, so the question would be: “Why bother?” Now, alternating APAP with an NSAID during a time of severe acute pain or high fever may give better pain/fever relief, allowing you to take a pain med every 3 hours or so, but even that’s not been conclusively demonstrated. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-can-take-ibuprofen-and-acetaminophen-together/811441/5 "2018-03-30T14:22:57Z")
One thing to keep in mind if you’re popping a lot of over-the-counter pain pillies is that acetominophen is rough on the liver and you really don’t want to overdo it. And, in conjunction with that, the fact that acetominophen is an ingredient in lots of stuff that folks who are taking such pillies are often also making use of, such as cough syrup, decongestant remedies, etc. Aspirin and ibuprofen and naproxen aren’t especially good for you if you overdo them but mostly they’re going to do temporary carnage to your stomach, which in my book is a very different thing than permanent damage to your liver. ETA: IANAD (although I once trained as a nurse) ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-can-take-ibuprofen-and-acetaminophen-together/811441/6 "2018-03-30T17:15:12Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > Aspirin and ibuprofen and naproxen aren’t especially good for you if you overdo them but mostly they’re going to do temporary carnage to your stomach, which in my book is a very different thing than permanent damage to your liver. ETA: IANAD (although I once trained as a nurse) Yeah, that’s my understanding as well taking a few multiples over the recommended dose of aspirin or Ibuprofen will give you a tummy ache. Taking a few multiples over the recommended dose of Tylenol can permanently wreck your health. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2018, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-can-take-ibuprofen-and-acetaminophen-together/811441/7 "2018-03-31T14:47:23Z")
I’ve had good luck with tylenol and Ibuprofen together. It all depends on what’s causing the pain. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2018, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-can-take-ibuprofen-and-acetaminophen-together/811441/8 "2018-03-31T15:03:01Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > Yeah, that’s my understanding as well taking a few multiples over the recommended dose of aspirin or Ibuprofen will give you a tummy ache. I nearly died from taking Aleve. I developed a gastric bleed and lost half my blood volume. I don’t take any NSAIDS now. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2018, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-can-take-ibuprofen-and-acetaminophen-together/811441/9 "2018-03-31T15:32:14Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I nearly died from taking Aleve. I developed a gastric bleed and lost half my blood volume. I don’t take any NSAIDS now. Yep. NSAIDs cause a lot of deaths every year. None are particularly safe as far as bleeding goes; not even celebrex, the one that was originally marketed as being easier on the stomach. If you take NSAIDs, you run an increased risk of bleeding, generally in the stomach, or in the brain. But it’s a small increased risk for most people, and most consider the risk worth it for the pain relief it can give. Acetaminophen doesn’t pose that risk, but high doses of it can cause liver toxicity. And liver toxicity can also happen at lower doses if the person also drinks a lot of alcohol routinely. The problem usually occurs when the heavy drinker takes high doses of acetaminophen regularly over a few days. No drugs are completely safe. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-can-take-ibuprofen-and-acetaminophen-together/811441/10 "2018-04-01T13:53:31Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I nearly died from taking Aleve. I developed a gastric bleed and lost half my blood volume. I don’t take any NSAIDS now. I had a similar situation about eight years ago, and I have not taken ibuprofen or Aleve or any NSAID (other than a very occasional aspirin) since that day. I do sometimes wish I could take them, like for the current spate of tension headaches I’m having, but I don’t dare. That’s why I’m wondering if aspirin and Tylenol together would be an effective solution. When I get very old and arthritic and need something more effective than Tylenol, it ain’t gonna be pretty. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-can-take-ibuprofen-and-acetaminophen-together/811441/11 "2018-04-01T13:56:49Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > I had a similar situation about eight years ago, and I have not taken ibuprofen or Aleve or any NSAID (other than a very occasional aspirin) since that day. I do sometimes wish I could take them, like for the current spate of tension headaches I’m having, but I don’t dare. That’s why I’m wondering if aspirin and Tylenol together would be an effective solution. Aspirin is an NSAID ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-can-take-ibuprofen-and-acetaminophen-together/811441/12 "2018-04-01T19:37:40Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Aspirin is an NSAID > [@](#): > > Aleve or any NSAID (other than a very occasional\*\* aspirin\*\*) They already know this. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2018, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-can-take-ibuprofen-and-acetaminophen-together/811441/13 "2018-04-02T00:43:12Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > There’s also not any real good evidence that taking APAP with an NSAID really gives better relief of pain or fever, so the question would be: “Why bother?” Well there was this one [study](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23794268). But it was for a very specific type of pain( saw a similar one for tooth extraction, which I guess is a pretty analogous situation ).