Ibuprofen is one of the most well known non-prescription painkillers in the UK and treats many common ailments including menstrual cramps, headaches, and dental pain.
Every year, Scots consume millions of these pills and see no major side effects.
But experts are now warning that Ibuprofen should not be mixed with common blood pressure medication after a study revealed that doing so could damage kidneys.
As reported by the Mirror, people living with high blood pressure are often prescribed diuretic water-loss tablets and renin-angiotensin system (RSA) inhibitors, but combining them with ibuprofen could be a "triple whammy" of acute kidney damage,
Researchers at the University of Waterloo used a computer-simulated drug trial to model the interaction of ibuprofen with these common treatments for hypertension and determine their impact on the kidneys.
The "triple whammy" of combining water-loss tablets with an RSA inhibitor like Advil, as well as ibuprofen, reduces your kidney's ability to process these drugs and can cause major damage.
The study's scientists advise people being treated for high blood pressure to talk to their doctor about choosing a different form of painkiller.
The NHS already advises against ibuprofen usage in the later stages of pregnancy and for anyone who has experienced shortness of breath after taking aspirin or Ibuprofen.
Many people are unaware of these potentially adverse effects from taking the painkiller. More widely, ibuprofen should also not be used by people with asthma, Crohn's disease, stomach ulcers, arterial disease, heart disease, or a history of strokes.
"It's not that everyone who happens to take this combination of drugs is going to have problems," said Professor Anita Layton, one of the study's authors.
"But the research shows it's enough of a problem that you should exercise caution."
"Diuretics are a family of drugs that make the body hold less water," Layton said. "Being dehydrated is a major factor in acute kidney injury, and then the RAS inhibitor and ibuprofen hit the kidney with this triple whammy.
"If you happen to be on these hypertension drugs and need a painkiller, consider acetaminophen instead."
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