There is an increasing number of people who take dietary supplements – over 170 million Americans and 20 million in the UK admitted taking them especially since the pandemic started. But since these over-the-counter medications are considered safe, you probably don’t check to see if it’s safe to take them with your other medications. Medical experts say mixing medications, especially ibuprofen and dietary supplements could be dangerous to your health.
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Poisonous mix
People take dietary supplements such as vitamins, herbs and amino acids for different reasons. For athletes and bodybuilders, these supplements help improve their performance, while others take them to help lose weight or as part of a broader healthy lifestyle, according to Penn Medicine.
However, certain dietary supplements can change absorption, metabolism, or excretion of a medication, the FDA says. If that happens, it can affect the potency of your medication, which means you may get either too much or too little of the medication you need.
Combining dietary supplements and medications could have dangerous and even life-threatening effects.
Fatal concoction
In particular, taking supplements which often contain the ingredient gingko biloba – touted for its ability to stimulate memory and improve circulation – with ibuprofen should be avoided. The NHS warns on its website of the risk of fatal bleeding.
It's best not to take gingko biloba with ibuprofen as it can increase the chance of bleeding. There's not enough information to say that other herbal remedies and supplements are safe to take with ibuprofen. They're not tested in the same way as pharmacy and prescription medicines.
In 2013, a 71-year-old man reportedly died from internal bleeding after taking ginkgo biloba together with ibuprofen. He had been taken the supplement for two years with no issue. He suffered the fatality when he started taking ibuprofen four weeks prior to his death.
Sources used:
Express.co.uk: Man, 71, suffers fatal bleed in the brain after mixing vitamin supplements with ibuprofen
NHS: Taking or using ibuprofen with other medicines and herbal supplements
US FDA: Mixing Medications and Dietary Supplements Can Endanger Your Health
Read more:
⋙ Should you be taking these common OTC painkillers together?
⋙ Common painkiller linked to potentially dangerous side effect
⋙ This common supplement could cause kidney and liver damage, scientists warn
