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NSAIDs: what to be careful with
NSAIDs reduce pain, fever and inflammation by blocking prostaglandin production.
General information only, and not exhaustive. This is not medical advice, not a full list of interactions, and not a reason to start, stop or change a medicine. Interactions depend on the exact drug, the dose, your other medicines and your own health — a pharmacist or doctor is the one who decides. Always read the leaflet that came with your medicine, and ask your pharmacist before adding anything, including supplements.
Group, not a brandATC M01A
Examples in this group: ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, ketoprofen; aspirin at pain-relieving doses. Interactions usually belong to the whole group, but your own leaflet is brand-specific — always the final word.
Food and drink to be careful with
- Taken with or after food. This is the standard label instruction. Its purpose is comfort — reducing indigestion — rather than proven protection of the stomach lining, since NSAIDs irritate the stomach through the bloodstream as well as by direct contact. Real protection, where it is needed, comes from a stomach-protecting medicine.
- Do not stack NSAIDs. Ibuprofen in a tablet, diclofenac in a cold remedy and aspirin for pain are three NSAIDs, not three different medicines. Combination cold and flu products are the usual way this happens by accident.
- Alcohol and stomach bleeding. Alcohol and NSAIDs both irritate the stomach lining, and the combination is one of the better-established everyday interactions.
- Salt and fluid. NSAIDs cause the body to retain sodium and water. That is why they matter in heart failure and in high blood pressure, where they can blunt the effect of treatment.
Timing around meals
With or after food, and for the shortest period that does the job. Modified-release and topical forms behave differently from ordinary tablets.
Alcohol
Regular drinking alongside regular NSAID use is a recognised risk combination for stomach bleeding. The risk rises with age and with any history of ulcer.
Other things to watch
- The combination of an ACE inhibitor or ARB, a diuretic and an NSAID is a well-known strain on the kidneys, especially during dehydration or illness.
- NSAIDs raise bleeding risk on top of anticoagulants and antiplatelets.
- People with asthma, kidney disease, heart failure or a history of stomach ulcer are the groups for whom NSAID choice is a clinical decision rather than a shelf decision.
If anything here does not match what you were told, or you notice a new symptom after starting a medicine, contact your pharmacist or doctor — do not just stop taking it. Stopping some medicines suddenly is more dangerous than any food interaction.
Source: The product's own Summary of Product Characteristics and patient information leaflet, published per medicine by the licensing authority. NSAIDs are widely available without prescription, so the pharmacy counter is the practical place to check them against your other medicines. · checked 2026-09-02
Frequently asked questions
What should I avoid with nsaids?
Taken with or after food is the one people ask about most: This is the standard label instruction. Its purpose is comfort — reducing indigestion — rather than proven protection of the stomach lining, since NSAIDs irritate the stomach through the bloodstream as well as by direct contact. Real protection, where it is needed, comes from a stomach-protecting medicine. This is general information — your leaflet and pharmacist have the specifics.
Can I drink alcohol with nsaids?
Regular drinking alongside regular NSAID use is a recognised risk combination for stomach bleeding. The risk rises with age and with any history of ulcer.
Should nsaids be taken with food?
With or after food, and for the shortest period that does the job. Modified-release and topical forms behave differently from ordinary tablets.
Other medicine groups
Statins
Statins lower LDL cholesterol by slowing the liver's own cholesterol production, and are prescribed to reduce the long-term risk of heart attack and stroke.
Metformin
Metformin lowers blood glucose mainly by reducing the amount of glucose the liver releases, and is usually the first medicine used in type 2 diabetes.
Levothyroxine
Levothyroxine replaces the thyroid hormone the body is not making enough of, in an underactive thyroid.
Warfarin
Warfarin thins the blood by blocking the vitamin K-dependent clotting factors, and is used to prevent and treat blood clots.
DOACs (direct oral anticoagulants)
DOACs thin the blood by directly blocking a single clotting factor, and are used to prevent stroke in atrial fibrillation and to treat and prevent venous clots.
SSRIs and SNRIs
These antidepressants raise the availability of serotonin (and for SNRIs also noradrenaline) in the brain, and are used for depression and several anxiety conditions.
All medicine groups · Alcohol units and clearance · Blood test reference ranges
Track meals and symptoms alongside your medicines
TempoLife keeps your food, symptoms and the medicines you take in one place, so a pattern is easy to show your pharmacist or doctor.