Take ibuprofen tablets, capsules, granules or liquid with a meal or snack, or with a drink of milk. It will be less likely to upset your stomach. If you take it just after food, ibuprofen may take longer to start working.
Take NSAIDs at the end of a full meal or with an antacid
Drugs that reduce stomach irritation include misoprostol (Cytotec), or a proton pump inhibitor such as omeprazole (Prilosec), esomeprazole (Nexium), pantoprazole (Protonix), lansoprazole (Prevacid), or rabeprazole (Aciphex).
Official answer. You can take ibuprofen on an empty stomach and this will give you faster pain relief than taking it with food. Food increases the time it takes for ibuprofen to be absorbed, although it won't affect how much is absorbed.
It is common to advise that analgesics, and especially non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), be taken with food to reduce unwanted gastrointestinal adverse effects.
In limited cases, for fast relief of pain symptoms, taking ibuprofen on an empty stomach may be fine. A magnesium-containing antacid may offer some protection and help provide faster relief. For long-term use, it's helpful to take a protectant to avoid GI side effects.
Some people will have no effects if they take ibuprofen on an empty stomach while others could experience adverse side effects. It is recommended to take NSAID medications such as ibuprofen with food, milk, or an antacid to help prevent gastrointestinal side effects.
Eat neutral foods
Crackers, rice, bread, peanut butter, and other neutral foods do a good job coating your stomach and prompting digestion, which helps your body to metabolize your medication efficiently.
For example, ibuprofen and other non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are best taken with food. This is because NSAIDs inhibit the body's production of prostaglandins - compounds that promote inflammation - but unfortunately, prostaglandins in the gut also protect the stomach lining from your own stomach acid.
A small snack should do the trick. The only downside to taking ibuprofen with food is that your body will likely absorb your dose more slowly. So it may take longer to kick in than if you took it on an empty stomach.
Generally it takes about 30 minutes for you to begin feeling the effects of ibuprofen. However, this timeframe can vary from one person to the next, and for different reasons. When ibuprofen begins to work, you'll typically start to notice a decrease in pain or fever.
STOMACH PROTECTION YOU MAY NEED
DUEXIS offers the convenience of prescription-strength ibuprofen with a stomach-protecting medicine in 1 tablet—so you get the relief you want from the symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with less risk of getting stomach ulcers vs ibuprofen alone.
People who take high doses of ibuprofen on a regular basis are three times more likely to experience gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding than those who do not take painkillers.
Although NSAIDs are generally well tolerated, adverse gastrointestinal events occur in a small but important percentage of patients. NSAIDs like aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and others are known to have serious adverse effects, including severe gastrointestinal damage, that can be life threatening.
NSAIDs are better absorbed from acidic, rather than neutral, solutions. So an acidic stomach environment, after a night of fasting for instance, means NSAIDs will reach a higher blood concentration than after a meal. But a less acidic environment created by food will slow NSAID absorption.
Study subjects who took ibuprofen 200 mg plus caffeine 100 mg and ibuprofen 100 mg plus caffeine 100 mg were far more likely to achieve at least 50% of the maximum pain relief over six hours than those on placebo. Both dose combinations also significantly reduced remedication rates.
The medicine travels throughout the body and binds to the lock (receptor) if it fits. For example, Advil contains ibuprofen, which is a pain medication. The ibuprofen will latch onto any pain receptors that it comes across as it flows by.
Potential Negative Interaction
Ibuprofen may cause sodium and water retention. It is healthful to reduce dietary salt intake by eliminating table salt and heavily salted foods.
Bananas. Don't eat them if you take ACE inhibitors such as captopril, enalapril and fosinopril among others. ACE inhibitors lower blood pressure and treat heart failure by opening up blood vessels, so blood flows more efficiently.
However, as a general rule you should take medicine on an empty stomach (one hour before eating or 2 hours after) unless advised otherwise. This is because many medicines can be affected by what you eat and when you eat it.
adults – can usually take 1 or 2 tablets (200mg) every 4 to 6 hours, but shouldn't take more than 1,200mg (6 x 200mg) tablets in the space of 24 hours. children under 16 – may need to take a lower dose, depending on their age; check the packet or leaflet, or ask a pharmacist or doctor for advice.
Ibuprofen is a commonly-used OTC medication. While it doesn't usually cause liver damage, it can be hard on the kidneys. It's important to follow OTC dosing instructions, as this will help lower your risk of side effects, including kidney damage. Keep in mind that ibuprofen isn't right for everyone.
Naproxen. Another anti-inflammatory drug, which works much like ibuprofen. Some studies show this may be a better choice than ibuprofen for people at risk for heart disease.
No interactions were found between ibuprofen and Probiotic Formula. However, this does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. Always consult your healthcare provider.