Can you take paracetamol and ibuprofen together?

Health advice ·Published 10 October 2026 ·Reviewed 10 October 2026

Written by the Priceline Pharmacy Pacific Fair team. Reviewed by Jason Markey, BPharmSci, MPharm, Owner and Pharmacist.

General health information from a registered pharmacist. It doesn’t replace advice from your own pharmacist or doctor.

Yes, most healthy adults can take paracetamol and ibuprofen together, as long as each medicine stays within its own dose limits and ibuprofen is safe for you. The UK’s NHS says adults can take ibuprofen at the same time as paracetamol if needed, although it’s a good idea to try each one on its own first. For some kinds of short-term pain, such as a toothache, the pair works better than either medicine alone.

The catch is that ibuprofen doesn’t suit everyone, and it’s easy to double up without realising, because the same ingredients turn up in cold and flu tablets and combination products. This guide is for adults. If you’re looking after a child, read our guide to children’s paracetamol and ibuprofen instead, as the advice is different.

How do paracetamol and ibuprofen work?

They’re two different types of pain reliever.

• Paracetamol relieves pain and brings down a fever. healthdirect notes that exactly how it does this isn’t fully understood. Side effects are rare at the right dose, but an overdose can damage your liver and can be fatal.
• Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It blocks prostaglandins, chemicals that injured cells make and that cause swelling. That’s why it’s often chosen when inflammation is part of the problem, like a sprain or strain.

They act in different ways, and they can work well as a team. A review in Australian Prescriber on dental pain found that paracetamol and ibuprofen are more effective in combination than either of them alone.

Should you take them together or alternate them?

There are two common ways to use both:

• At the same time: you take a dose of each together, then repeat each one when it’s next due.
• Staggered (alternating): you take one, then the other a couple of hours later, so the doses are spread out across the day.

Neither approach changes the rules. Each medicine keeps its own dose, its own minimum gap between doses and its own daily maximum, no matter what else you’re taking. Staggering means more doses to keep track of, so write down the time of each one, especially overnight when it’s easy to lose count.

Start with one. If paracetamol or ibuprofen alone isn’t enough, adding the other may help. Use pain relievers for as short a time as you need them: healthdirect advises taking ibuprofen at the lowest dose for as short a time as possible.

How much can you take in a day?

Always check the strength of your tablets and follow the directions on the pack. Here’s how the two compare for adults.

What about combination tablets and cold and flu products?

You’ll also find tablets that contain both paracetamol and ibuprofen in one. They can be handy, but NPS MedicineWise points out that different combination products have different doses and different maximum numbers of tablets per day, so read the label every time rather than relying on a brand you’ve used before. These combinations are meant for short-term pain and shouldn’t be used for more than a few days at a time unless a doctor advises it.

Never take a combination tablet with separate paracetamol or ibuprofen tablets. NPS MedicineWise advises considering the paracetamol content of all the medicines you’re taking.

Doubling up also happens with cold and flu products. healthdirect warns that paracetamol is found in cold and flu medicines, migraine products and headache tablets, and is sold under different brand names, which makes it easy to take too much by mistake. Some cold products contain an anti-inflammatory too, and healthdirect cautions against taking one NSAID for a headache and another in a cold medicine. Before you add anything from our cold and flu guide, check the active ingredients on every pack you’re using.

Who should avoid ibuprofen or check first?

Paracetamol suits most adults at the right dose. Ibuprofen and other NSAIDs need more care. healthdirect advises against taking NSAIDs if you:

• have had a stomach ulcer or bleeding in your gut
• have kidney or liver problems
• are pregnant or planning a pregnancy
• are allergic to NSAIDs

Talk to a pharmacist or doctor first if you:

• have heart problems or high blood pressure, or take blood pressure medicines (NSAIDs are linked to a small increase in the risk of heart attack and stroke)
• have asthma, as NSAIDs, including aspirin, can trigger asthma in some people
• take a blood thinner, including low-dose aspirin
• have reflux or indigestion that keeps coming back
• are over 65 (healthdirect notes the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia recommends older people don’t use NSAIDs regularly)
• have chickenpox, as ibuprofen isn’t recommended then
• are breastfeeding, although healthdirect says ibuprofen is generally considered safe

If you’re pregnant, healthdirect says leading Australian experts consider paracetamol safe for pain and fever, but you should still get medical advice before taking any medicine. If you’re breastfeeding, paracetamol is the first-choice pain reliever.

How can our pharmacists help?

You don’t need an appointment to ask us about pain relief at Pacific Fair. We can:

• check whether ibuprofen is safe with your health conditions and other medicines
• look over the packs you already have at home so you don’t double up
• help you plan a dosing schedule you can follow, including overnight
• tell you when pain needs a doctor rather than more tablets

If you take several regular medicines, a medication review is a free one-on-one check of everything you take, including over-the-counter pain relief, for Medicare card holders.

When to see a pharmacist or GP

Talk to your pharmacist or see a GP if:

• paracetamol or ibuprofen isn’t relieving your pain or fever
• you’ve needed pain relief for more than a few days, or the pain keeps coming back
• you get side effects such as tummy pain, heartburn, nausea or dizziness
• you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, or you have any of the conditions listed above

Our in-store Help Medical GPs are one option if you’re already at the centre.

Get urgent medical help if you have severe tummy pain, vomit blood, have black stools or notice swollen ankles while taking ibuprofen. If you think you’ve taken too much paracetamol, healthdirect says to call triple zero (000) straight away and ask for an ambulance, even if you feel fine. For advice, you can call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26.

Call 000 in an emergency. That includes a possible paracetamol overdose, trouble breathing or signs of a severe allergic reaction.

This article is general information only and isn’t a substitute for personal advice from your doctor or pharmacist. Always read the label and follow the directions for use. If symptoms persist or you’re worried, talk to your pharmacist or GP. In an emergency, call 000.