Anti-inflammatory medicines like ibuprofen are used to treat headache, muscle pain and joint pain. Most people have no problem taking anti-inflammatories, but some people are seriously harmed by these medicines.
Image credit: University of Otago, NZ
You are at higher risk of being harmed by anti-inflammatory medicines if you are over 65 years old, take some types of blood pressure pills and ‘water pills’ (diuretics), or are sick and dehydrated. You should avoid anti-inflammatories, except on the advice of your doctor.
Learning about anti-inflammatories may help you avoid harm from these medicines.
The following activity has been developed by the University of Otago to help you learn about anti-inflammatory medicine. You will find out about anti-inflammatory medicines, how they can harm your body, how to take them safely and why to avoid them when taking blood pressure medicines.
It will take 5–10 minutes.
Related topics on Healthify
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs)
NSAIDs and blood pressure medicines
Risks associated with taking NSAIDs
NSAID topics
ACE inhibitors
Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs)
Resources
Avoiding anti-inflammatories when taking blood pressure medicines [PDF, 203 KB] University of Otago, NZ, 2021
5 questions to ask about your medications(external link) Health Quality and Safety Commission, NZ, 2019 English(external link), te reo Māori(external link)
