MajorNon-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)×Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Updated · Methodology
Mechanism
The diclofenac label notes that giving it with other NSAIDs or corticosteroids can increase gastrointestinal adverse effects, and the ibuprofen label asks to avoid simultaneous use with other NSAIDs. On top of the digestive risk comes the cardiovascular one, highest in the group for diclofenac at high doses and long courses.
Symptoms
Epigastric pain, dyspepsia, black stools, anaemia from slow bleeding. Fluid retention, rising blood pressure and worse hypertension control. In ischaemic heart disease the thrombotic risk of diclofenac outweighs any analgesic gain.
Management
Keep a single NSAID, and in cardiovascular patients avoid choosing diclofenac. Topical diclofenac gels and patches contribute little systemically, but over large areas or under occlusive dressing absorption rises and they count as another dose. Extra analgesia comes from paracetamol.
Check the full regimen, not just this pair
Opens the checker with these two drugs prefilled. Add the rest of the regimen and recompute additive risks.
Summary of a multi-drug list →
Medicine list: everything you take in one place →
Sources
- AEMPS: Ficha técnica Ibuprofeno Cinfa 600 mg comprimidos recubiertos con película EFG (2024)– AEMPS, CIMA, nº registro 70039, secciones 4.4 y 4.5
- AEMPS: Ficha técnica Diclofenaco Cinfa 50 mg comprimidos gastrorresistentes EFG (2025)– AEMPS, CIMA, nº registro 62161, sección 4.5