Can ibuprofen and paracetamol be taken together?

Question

I have a headache I've been meaning to get rid of this morning. I do know the differences between paracetamol and ibuprofen however since I just woke up this morning with my thoughts still cloudy, I've impulsively decided to take a dose of paracetamol (500mg) to alleviate my head ache. It was only later that I realized that it was muscle pains near my shoulder that was causing my headache and that I should've taken ibuprofen instead.

Is it safe to take ibuprofen (200mg) if I've already taken paracetamol 5 hours before?

Answer 1

Yes, it is safe. The mechanism that ibuprofen and paracetamol use are different and don't interact negatively. In fact, the two drugs (medicines) can be used in conjunction for a synergistic effect so that it will provide greater pain relief than either drug alone. With that said, still follow the standard dosing instructions for each drug. That means don't take more than 3000 Mg of paracetamol in one day (24 hours) (this is a strict limit, can cause permanent damage if you exceed 4000 mg in 24 hours) and don't take more than 1200 mg of ibuprofen in any 24 hour period or you risk stomach bleeding. Hope this helps :) Sources: http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/857.aspx?CategoryID=73 Acetaminophen with ibuprofen