Exact Answer: 24 Hours
Alcohol is a liquid drink that contains ethanol, or sometimes known as ethyl alcohol. It is made using a process known as fermentation, where the yeast ferments the sugar in different kinds of food like grapes, apples, potatoes, etc.
Alcohol is categorized in the drug group known as ‘sedative-hypnotic drug.’ When taken in a lower dose, it makes the body feel the emotions such as euphoria or excessive talking. However, when taken in high doses, it can lead to feeling drowsy, slow breathing, and in extreme cases, coma.
Pure alcohol is necessarily colorless and gives a strong smell. Ibuprofen is a medicine that is taken for fever, pain, or swelling. It is best taken at least a day after having alcohol.
How Long After Alcohol Can I Take Ibuprofen?
Ibuprofen is a medicine necessarily taken for things like fever, swelling, or pain. A lot of brand names selling this medicine like Advil, Midol, and Motrin.
Even though a prescription is not necessary for taking ibuprofen, there are still some serious side effects that could be triggered if the medicine is used in the wrong way.
Alcohol, when taken in small amounts, can lead up to the person feeling the emotions such as euphoria, excessive talking, reduced concentration, etc. However, if taken in a high dose, it can result in headache, vomiting, coma, and in extreme cases, even death.
After having low amounts of alcohol, NHS claims that it is okay to take some painkillers. However, taking ibuprofen could be dangerous if taken before the completion of 24 hours of taking alcohol.
Ibuprofen can sometimes, after taking it, can irritate the stomach lining which could result in ulcers and bleeding. The thing to note is, alcohol does the same thing. Hence, if ibuprofen is taken with alcohol or within a small-time gap, it can combine and increase the risk of ulcers and bleeding.
Taking ibuprofen with alcohol can also lead up to gastrointestinal bleeding along with kidney damage in some cases.
Taking alcohol with medicine can result in two effects – either it can reduce the effects of the medicine, or it can intensity the side-effects of the medicine. Taking alcohol with ibuprofen does the second part and hence, could be dangerous. If the dosage of either alcohol or ibuprofen is more than recommended, it can lead to serious results such as kidney failure.
| Alcohol Amount/Dosage | Results |
| Small Dosage | Feeling euphoria, excessive talking, losing concentration |
| High Dosage | Vomiting, headache, coma, death |
Why Can I Take Ibuprofen 24 Hours After Having Alcohol?
Ibuprofen is a medicine that can result in various side effects, one of which is having ulcers and bleeding. The reason for this is because it irritates the stomach lining. Alcohol, on the other hand, does the same thing when taken into the body.
Hence, if the person somehow takes ibuprofen and alcohol together or in a small time interval, it can result in the side effects being intensified, and the probability of having ulcers and bleeding increases tremendously.
It can also result in things such as gastrointestinal bleeding, decreased concentration, and even kidney damage in some cases. The gastrointestinal bleeding can start with having symptoms such as stomach ache, blood in the vomit, black stools, etc.
Kidney damage is mostly a result of long-term use of alcohol with ibuprofen. It can be recognized if there is swelling in hands or legs, and tiredness which is more than usual, also shortness of breath, etc.
Ibuprofen is mainly used as a painkiller; hence, it makes the person a little sleepy after working in the body. Alcohol does the same thing to the brain, hence, combining both of these would result in trouble concentrating.
The best way to take ibuprofen, if necessary, is to take it at least 24 hours after having alcohol.
Another thing to keep in mind while taking ibuprofen is that the stomach bleeding can be on a greater level if the person is above the age of 60. It is also dangerous if the person has had stomach bleeding problems in the past.
Conclusion
Ibuprofen is a medicine that is mainly taken for fever, pain, or swelling. It has various side effects, one of which includes ulcers and bleeding. The reason for this is because it irritates the stomach lining. Alcohol, on the other hand, does the same thing to the body.
Hence, when combined, these side effects could intensify resulting in gastrointestinal bleeding, lack of concentration, and in some cases, even kidney damage. These effects could be greater if the person is over the age of 60, or has had stomach bleeding before.
The best time to take ibuprofen, if necessary, is at least 24 hours after having alcohol.