Magic asked
Can I take Warfarin and Advil together?
Answer
In the vast majority of cases, no you should not take these two drugs together!
Because Advil can cause GI bleeding and inhibits platelet aggregation, it is almost always recommended to avoid Advil (Ibuprofen) when taking warfarin. Ibuprofen also prolongs bleeding time in people. This precaution applies to all the drugs in the NSAID class, of which Advil is a part of. Other NSAIDs include Aleve and Mobic. The biggest risk is that patients treated with anticoagulants such as warfarin have an increased risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. There are countless cases of patients who are on warfarin and also take ibuprofen that need to be admitted to the hospital with GI bleeds.
Having said all this, I have seen people be on both warfarin and an anti-inflammatory drug. Patients receiving any anticoagulant or thrombolytic agent and an anti-inflammatory drug concurrently should be monitored closely for bleeding. Typically patients will need to have their INR checked while on therapy.
This interaction is certainly considered a major interaction and should in the vast majority of cases be avoided!
