Advil is the brand name for ibuprofen, a popular generic painkiller. Each year, Americans take billions of doses of over-the-counter, or OTC, pain relievers like this one and, surprisingly, have a lack of knowledge about their potential dangers, according to research from experts at Northwestern University. People unintentionally misuse OTC medications, mixing them with possibly contraindicated drugs, foods and chemicals, such as caffeine. However, combining Advil with caffeine does not seem to pose a danger.
Advil and Caffeine
In the case of Advil, mixing with caffeine is not only safe, but may also have a more powerful painkilling effect on conditions like tension headaches. In 2000, researchers from the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago analyzed the effectiveness of caffeine combined with ibuprofen for the treatment of acute pain. A group of 301 volunteers were given ibuprofen with caffeine, ibuprofen alone, caffeine alone or a placebo. The most successful treatment, caffeine and ibuprofen, provided significantly greater pain relief.
Dosage
In 1991, researchers from Johns Hopkins set out to determine at which dose the combination of ibuprofen with caffeine is most potent. They compared the effect of a placebo, 50, 100 and 150 mg doses of the painkiller alone or combined with caffeine. The most significant results came from the combination of even the lowest dose of ibuprofen and caffeine, which was at least 2.4 times as powerful as taking Advil alone.
Ibuprofen vs. Acetaminophen
It turns out that ibuprofen is a much better alternative than acetaminophen, a drug that is often used interchangeably with medications like Advil. Unlike ibuprofen, acetaminophen, the active drug in Tylenol, poses a higher risk for overdose, which can lead to liver toxicity, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Combining caffeine with acetaminophen also poses risks not found when combining caffeine with ibuprofen. In 2007, "The Washington Post" explained that high doses of caffeine and acetaminophen leads to liver damage due to the production of a toxic enzyme. This effect can occur when drinking caffeinated beverages and taking the OTC painkiller, as well as when taking a pill that combines the two ingredients.
How it Works
The reason caffeine is added to medications like Advil is because it has mild pain-relieving properties, according to ABC News. Caffeine helps the body absorb medications more rapidly, says the Cleveland Clinic, allowing patients to feel better more quickly. Adding the ingredient to painkillers also eliminates the need for a higher dose of medication, which, in the case of some painkillers, reduces the chance for liver damage. People need to be aware, however, that there are possible side effects not seen in drugs that do not contain caffeine. Caffeine can lead to wakefulness, irritability and anxiousness and it can even have gastrointestinal effects like abdominal muscle contractions and cause frequent urination.
References
- Northwestern University: Public Confused About Ingredients in Pain Relievers; May 2011
- Drugs.com: Advil
- Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics; Ibuprofen Plus Caffeine in the Treatment of Tension-Type Headache; S Diamond; September 2000
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Safe Use Initiative, Acetaminophen Toxicity; June 2011
- "The Washington Post"; Caffeine Plus Acetaminophen Toxic for Some; September 2007
- Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics; JA Forbes; June 1991
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