Published on 18 May 2022

Can You Take Ibuprofen With Valium?

Valium (Diazepam) can-you-take-ibuprofen-with-valium
Table of Contents

An individual takes one medication to cure a single condition. A doctor might prescribe more than one medicine for the same or different conditions. Most people are aware of a single medication's therapeutic action and efficacy, but what if these are given in combination?

Ibuprofen is a Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug that helps relieves mild-to-moderate pain. Overall findings indicate that 1 in 5 people suffer from chronic pain (CP), which is around 30% - 40% of the world's population. Also, the prevalence of chronic pain increases with age.

Benzodiazepine drug, Valium prescribed for Anxiety. The previous year's data shows that 19.1% of U.S. adults had an Anxiety disorder. This was more major seen in females (23.4%) than in males (14.3%).

Both these drugs are indicated for different purposes. How will they work if these are given together? Continue reading to learn more about Ibuprofen and Valium.

What Is Ibuprofen?

Ibuprofen is a prescribed drug and is also available as OTC medication in the form of painkillers. Ibuprofen is a Non Steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drug sold under the brand name Advil, Motrin, Nuprin, etc.

Ibuprofen is used to ease mild to moderate pain and reduce fever, inflammation, and swelling. Ibuprofen is an overall treatment for pain reduction used for muscle aches, joint aches, toothaches, headaches, sore throat, menstrual cramps, and many more.

How Does Ibuprofen Works?

Ibuprofen works by blocking the signals in the body, which produces pain. When cells in your body are injured or damaged, they release prostaglandins.

Ibuprofen(Advil) is a non-selective inhibitor of an enzyme called COX. The inhibition of COX by Ibuprofen lowers the prostaglandins' level, reducing the body's pain.

What Is Valium?

Valium is the brand name of Diazepam, which belongs to the drug class Benzodiazepines. Valium is a prescription medicine, which means if you want to purchase Valium, you will need a prescription from a doctor. Valium is used to treat Anxiety, relieve muscle spasms, prevent seizures, etc. But it is generally prescribed for Anxiety.

How Does Valium Work?

Valium, a benzodiazepine, works by increasing the brain's activity of neurotransmitters called GABA. The whole process takes place in the central nervous system. Neurotransmitters are natural body chemical messengers that transmit messages between nerve cells and muscle.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid(GABA) is a neurotransmitter that acts as a natural nerve-calming agent. Thus, Valium works by regulating the GABA and relaxes the nerves and brain, which brings feelings of relaxation, reduces anxiety, and induces sleep.

What is Drug Interaction?

When medication works properly, it boosts your health and helps you to feel better. But when medication creates a problem, it doesn't mix well with something else you had consumed; it may be other medication, certain food, or alcohol; when such a condition occurs, it is termed a drug interaction.

Drug interaction will stop the medication's working, and your medication will become less effective or too strong, which may trigger side effects.

Can You Take Ibuprofen And Valium Together?

No interactions between Ibuprofen and Valium were found, but this doesn't mean that interaction is impossible between them. So it's always better to consult your healthcare provider before consuming them together to know the detailed information about their Pros(uses) and Cons(risks).

Ibuprofen is a painkiller, while Valium is an anxiety medication. Both medications are opposite from each other, treating different conditions. If they are used together continuously, they may show dangerous or life-threatening effects on your body.

There are various ways in which medications(drugs) can interact with each other. So the information below will help you decide whether the combination of Ibuprofen and Valium is good or bad.

A total of 365 drugs interact with Ibuprofen, and 488 drugs interact with Valium, including various drug and food interactions.

What Are The Effects When They Are Combined?

Prescription drugs interact with OTC medication and give dangerous or unpleasant effects, which can be entirely unpredictable. Certain herbal supplements and foods can interact with common oral painkillers and give bad results.

Benzodiazepine is an anti-anxiety medication that works on the central nervous system by depressing or stopping the physical and emotional symptoms caused by anxiety and panic disorders.

It slows breathing rate and gives a feeling of relaxation and peace. Benzo can be addictive if used for long periods with other drugs, including certain painkillers.
Painkillers come in various forms.OTC medications like Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen are not addictive and generally don't produce any risk, but they can still show dangerous effects if mixed with Valium(Benzo).

The most significant danger occurs when Benzos are mixed with Opioid painkillers such as Co-codamol, Codeine, Vicodin, Oxycontin, and Fentanyl. It makes you sleepy and slows the rate of breathing which can lead to coma or even death. So individuals may avoid the usage of such drugs together.

Caution Required When They Are Consumed Together?

Ibuprofen is a non-opioid painkiller, so it doesn't show any dangerous effects, and it's fine if you consume it when needed with Diazepam. Still, more use of it together can create severe side effects.

Let's assume we use Ibuprofen to reduce pain and Valium for Anxiety. In that case, we may feel sleepy within 15 to 30 minutes after consuming Valium, and Ibuprofen takes 30 minutes to reduce the pain and inflammation.

We can take it together when needed but be careful with a few things. Consume recommended dosage of both medications; if one drug dosage exceeds both drugs, it can lead to toxicity problems.

They do not have additive effects because they are from different medication classes, although sometimes they may complement each other. The kidney is mainly responsible for metabolizing Ibuprofen, whereas benzo is broken down differently and metabolized by the liver, excreted in the urine.
Analysis of Study
This study states that 39 patients were under observation for the condition called orofacial pain(pain related to dental issues) 35 were women, and 4 were men. The treatment was divided into four part-placebo, Diazepam, Ibuprofen, and the combination of Diazepam and Ibuprofen.

The pain decreased with a combination of Diazepam and Ibuprofen than in other groups. Most significantly, Diazepam was more effective than Ibuprofen and other groups. Thus, this study states the effectiveness of Diazepam and Ibuprofen together for short-term usage and shows liability for side effects.

Bottom Line From Practical Anxiety Solutions

We hope your doubts have been cleared by reading the blog, which gives information about Ibuprofen and Valium and their combined effectiveness. No interactions were found between Ibuprofen and Valium, but their interactions are possible in some instances.

Both medications are opposite from each other, work differently, and have different effects on your body as Ibuprofen is a painkiller, while Valium is a medication for Anxiety. If we consume them together for a longer period and continuously, it may show dangerous side effects.

But it doesn't produce any risk if the combination is used for some time when the need arises. So it's always better to consult your healthcare provider before consuming them together. The combination effects of Ibuprofen and Valium depend on the duration of treatment and the working system of each person.

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