These comments are made for the purpose of discussion and should NOT be used as recommendations for or against therapies or other treatments. An individual patient is always advised to consult their own physician.
Advil and Stomach Problems [posted 7/17/98]
Question: I take 2 advil, sometimes 3 daily for pain in general as i’m 75 years old. I am concerned about possible stomach problems as my father died from internal bleeding. Is there a proper way to take advil with food or water in a large quantity or less? Are stomach problems a possible side effect? I take the ones that are orange and coated.
Answer: It should be food with calories, as water does not qualify as food. Taking concurrent H2
blockers (tagamet, axid, zantac, pepcid) probably reduces the risk somewhat. Acetaminophen
has no gastric risk and often you can reduce your NSAID intake (Advil is a non-steroidal anti-
inflammatory) by combining with acetaminophen usage.
