Can i take difflam and ibuprofen together?

Ah, the age-old question that’s plagued mankind since time immemorial. Okay, maybe not that long but still, it’s one of those questions that can keep you up at night wondering. But fear not dear reader, for we have your back! In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into whether or not you can take Difflam and Ibuprofen together.

What is Difflam and Ibuprofen?

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of whether these two medications can be taken together let’s first understand what they are individually.

Let’s start with Difflam.

If you thought it was some fancy new energy drink then boy do we have news for you. No no no my dear friend, Difflam is actually an anti-inflammatory drug used to treat throat pain such as sore throats, pharyngitis (inflammation of the back of the throat), tonsillitis (inflammation of tonsils), mouth ulcers…you get where we’re going with this right? If your throat hurts then chances are high that Difflam could work wonders in helping to soothe it!

Now moving on to our old friend – Ibuprofen:

We all know about Advil®, Nurofen® etc., well guess what? They belong to the same family – Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs help reduce fever and inflammation by blocking enzymes responsible for producing prostaglandins which cause pain and inflammation in response to injury or infection.

The million-dollar question – Can I take them both?

Here comes THE burning question – Should these two drugs be taken together like peanut butter & jelly or should they just remain as archenemies like Batman & Joker?

Honestly folks whenever you mix medications, it’s worth a good double-check to make sure there aren’t any complications. As for mixing Difflam and Ibuprofen together? Let’s first understand each drug’s side effects.

Side Effects of Both Drugs

Side effects of taking Difflam

Difflam can cause various reactions such as:

  • Allergic reaction such as wheezing or difficulty breathing
  • Abdominal pain
  • Swelling to face, lips, tongue (also known as angioedema)

Pro-tip: If you are allergic to aspirin then chances are high that you could be allergic to Difflam too! You’re welcome 😉

Side effects of taking Ibuprofen

Ibuprofen is equally capable of giving a roller coaster ride -but not the fun kind– what am I saying?, getting hit by a chainsaw might be more enjoyable than some ibuprofen side-effects.

Anyway here are some potential side effects:

  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea or constipation
  • In severe cases – kidney damage or stomach ulcers

We wouldn’t want any of these happening now would we?

Why take them together?

Now, under what circumstances should someone take these two together when they both come with so many potential problems?

It might surprise you but medical professionals do prescribe patients with anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen and local anaesthetic agents like benzydamine hydrochloride in mouthwash form which is commonly known as Difflam-spray, after oral surgery procedures.

The idea being that the combination will provide an added therapeutic effect. Because Ibuprofen acts on the source of inflammation/pain coming from deeper inside your body while providing systemic analgesia; while benzydamine produces a powerful soothing effect at the site where it was applied reducing inflammation over time^[1]1. This combination can be effective in modulating the effect of each other while reducing the chances of side effects if used as recommended by a medical practitioner.

Precautions to take before mixing Difflam and Ibuprofen

If you’re considering taking these two medications together, there are certain precautions you need to keep in mind:

Keep them limited!

Firstly it’s important not to get carried away with the dosages! It’s essential that one doesn’t self-diagnose or start popping these pills without a proper diagnosis from your doctor. Medically advised doses should always be followed.

Do NOT use them for long periods.

Taking either drug over an extended period (more than 5 days) is generally not considered safe. Doing so increases one’s risks of running into some unpredictable problems like renal dysfunction – which basically means kidney damage^[2]1.

Pro-tip: Don’t worry, we know this stuff sounds scary but treating conditions with NSAIDs under guidance strictly supervised by healthcare professionals will help minimise any such risk factors!

Check medication compatibility

Another precautionary note is that when each medication has been prescribed separately there might sometimes be specific limitations on combining drugs especially those that contain anti-platelet agents like aspirin or blood-thinning medications also known as anticoagulants; These have their own set of complicated interactions so read up on those before making any hasty decisions on mixing drugs!

It is worth mentioning here though, since benzydamine/difflam does not possess blood thinning properties using it along with ibuprofen isn’t much cause for alarm. But still -and I cannot stress this enough- consulting with your primary care physician would always be preferable as they know best!

Conclusion

To sum things up: Is it possible to mix Difflam and Ibuprofen? Yes, absolutely! When combined correctly under the strict guidance of healthcare professionals these two painkillers can work together in providing a synergistic effect!

But be warned, both medications have their own dangers and should only be taken when necessary as allotted by your doctor! You don’t want to end up feeling worse than where you started do you?

So there ya go folks – Mum’s the word. We hope this informative article was helpful in shedding light on any confusion regarding co-administration of these two drugs. Thanks for reading, stay safe and healthy with some good ol’ social distancing.


  1. High proportion of renal failure cases are associated with both Ibuprofen overuse & self-dosing 

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