Can you take ibuprofen if you have a cardiac stent?

Answer 1

As long as the cold and flu tablets do not already include ibuprofen or another NSAID, it should be okay, unless the medication contains paracetamol. Adults (anyone over 16) can usually take paracetamol and Ibuprofen together but it is advised if you do that you space the doses apart by 6 hours instead of 4. There are no known harmful interactions between paracetamol and ibuprofen in people over 16.

Children should not use Ibuprofen and cold medicines containing paracetamol together. Speak to your pharmacist whenever you are unsure about taking medicines together, they are there for free consultations about medication they sell.

For more information about use of ibuprofen and paracetamol together in children, see the related links section to the NHS site below.

Answer 2

You should not take any NSAID class drug along with anti-hypertensive heart medication, as it lowers the effect of these classes of medications. NSAIDS also lower the renal blood flow, because they block the dilating effect of natural prostaglandins. That can send signals to your body to try and ramp up your blood pressure, in order to increase the flow of blood to the kidneys. Over time, this will cause "end organ damage," or damage that is directly related to high blood pressure.

So where does that leave you? Usually, your physician will begin looking at using narcotics class drugs in order to control pain in patients on anti-hypertensives (blood pressure lowering medications).

Drug/drug interactions can be very complicated. If you are unsure of any interactions, please visit with a qualified and licensed health care practitioner.

I am not a doctor, but I am at the end of my 3rd year of medical school and will be a doctor in about a year.