OTC painkillers have been just what the doctor ordered when dealing with minor to moderate pain for millions of people over the decades, but of course with these over-the-counter medications the doctor had nothing to do with it at all. You don’t need a prescription to buy Advil, Motrin or any other brand name versions of ibuprofen. So, when something unfortunate occurs and you need to treat inflammatory pain then a trip to the supermarket is all that is required. There will be times when you need something stronger with an Rx painkiller, but many times an OTC does just fine. But can ibuprofen cause constipation?

Waste elimination is best when it occurs effortlessly. A person with constipation may find that every ounce of their effort isn’t enough to pinch a loaf or two, and not only is it uncomfortable but the gas that comes with it can be embarrassing and even more of a reason why you cannot get some Metamucil in you fast enough. Fortunately, fiber laxatives like it and others do work very well for constipation relief, but are you more likely need them because you’ve taken ibuprofen?

That’s what we are going to look at here with can ibuprofen cause constipation. It may be difficult to say definitively that it is medication use that’s causing a person to be constipated. Most often it is because of foods they have eaten combined with generally not being ‘at ease’ physiologically. Stress making constipation worse is very possible, although it is true that even the most uptight people almost never have trouble urinating. Defecating can be a different story though.

Pressure to Pass Through

Ibuprofen is one of many NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) drugs, but it is easily one of the most well known as OTC pain relievers. Constipation is one of the possible side effects of ibuprofen use, but it doesn’t happen often and most often a person with a healthy diet and normal stress levels will have no problem with using the toilet despite using ibuprofen for pain.

Continuing our look at can ibuprofen cause constipation, it is much more likely that people using this medication will have nausea or vomiting rather than constipation. There are times that prolonged constipation can be an emergency situation, and this may apply when a person has slow-transit constipation, outlet constipation following pregnancy, or secondary constipation. But there is no connection to be made there between any of those 3 and can ibuprofen cause constipation.

Medication use will only contribute to idiopathic constipation, also known as functional constipation.

We will wrap up this blog entry by expanding our horizons when talking about painkillers and constipation. Strong Rx painkillers like Codeine, Tramadol, and Oxycontin are much more likely to cause constipation, and you may well experience the same type of irregularity if you are taking Tylenol 3s. But in honesty having difficulty with waste elimination may be the least troubling side effect if you’re taking these industrial-strength Rx painkillers.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The above information is intended to increase awareness of health information and does not suggest treatment or diagnosis. This information is not a substitute for individual medical attention and should not be construed to indicate that use of the drug is safe, appropriate, or effective for your pet. See your veterinarian for medical advice and treatment for your pet if you have any concerns.