Drug & supplement interaction

Indole-3-carbinol + Ibuprofen

Ibuprofen brand names: Motrin, Children's Motrin, Advil, Children's Advil, Fenbid Forte Gel, and others.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Indole-3-carbinol has a moderate interaction with Ibuprofen. Theoretically, indole-3-carbinol might increase the risk of bleeding when used with antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Indole-3-carbinol and Ibuprofen

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

Why this applies to Ibuprofen

Ibuprofen falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Indole-3-carbinol interacts with.

Theoretically, indole-3-carbinol might increase the risk of bleeding when used with antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs.
In vitro research shows that indole-3-carbinol inhibits platelet aggregation.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the simple version: ibuprofen already nudges your platelets, the tiny cells that help your blood clot, so it can slightly raise the chance of bruising or bleeding on its own. Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) may do something similar. In lab dish studies it appeared to slow platelets from clumping together, so stacking the two could, in theory, add up to a bit more bleeding risk.

I want to be honest about how shaky this is. The concern comes only from test-tube research, not from people, so it's mostly theoretical. The broccoli or cabbage on your plate is very unlikely to matter; a concentrated I3C supplement is the bigger question. Watch for easy bruising, nosebleeds, or stomach upset, and check with your pharmacist or doctor before pairing them, especially if you take ibuprofen often.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Paliwal P, Chauhan G, Gautam D, Dash D, Patne SCU, Krishnamurthy S. Indole-3-carbinol improves neurobehavioral symptoms in a cerebral ischemic stroke model. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. 2018;391(6):613-625. PubMed

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Indole-3-carbinol Also Interacts With Other Medications

Indole-3-carbinol has 293 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Ibuprofen one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 293 No known interaction 2,537 (incl. Ibuprofen)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Indole-3-carbinol

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Indole-3-carbinol. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Indole-3-carbinol or Ibuprofen

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Indole-3-carbinol or Ibuprofen, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Ibuprofen

This page covers Indole-3-carbinol only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ibuprofen page lists 286 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major), Danshen (major) and Piracetam (major).

By severity: 7 major · 243 moderate · 36 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Ibuprofen page

“Most people treat ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) as an everyday pain reliever, which is exactly why this list of 286 interacting supplements deserves real attention rather than a shrug. The dominant pattern by far is bleeding: 202 of these ingredients can add to the bleeding and stomach irritation ibuprofen already causes, and the seven maj…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Ibuprofen interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Indole-3-carbinol as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 287 real supplement products containing Indole-3-carbinol, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Indole-3-carbinol. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Ibuprofen too, on top of Indole-3-carbinol — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Indole-3-carbinol and Ibuprofen Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Indole-3-carbinol
Top 25%

#332 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Ibuprofen
Top 1%

#17 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Indole-3-carbinol

What is Indole-3-carbinol?

  • Estrogen and hormone balance support
  • Breast and cervical health
  • Prostate health
  • Antioxidant and 'detox' support
  • General cancer-prevention interest

Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) is a compound formed when you eat cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage, and it is sold as a supplement mainly for hormone-related and cell-protective effects. Most human evidence is preliminary or comes from lab and animal studies, so it should not be relied on to prevent or treat any disease. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it, and avoid it in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Indole-3-carbinol monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Ibuprofen

What Is Ibuprofen Used For?

Brand names: Motrin, Children's Motrin, Advil, Children's Advil, Fenbid Forte Gel, Ibugel Forte, Arthrofen, Ebufac, Rimafen, Calprofen, Fenpaed, Galprofen, Nurofen for Children, Orbifen for Children, Brufen, Brufen Retard, Fenbid, Tab-Profen, Ibuprofen, Calodor

Oral ibuprofen products (tablets, coated tablets, and liquid-filled capsules) are used to temporarily relieve minor aches and pains from headache, backache, toothache, muscular aches, menstrual cramps, minor arthritis pain, and the common cold, and to temporarily reduce fever. The oral prescription tablet (Ibu) is also indicated for the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, mild to moderate pain, and primary dysmenorrhea (painful periods).

Caldolor, an intravenous (IV) form, is approved for adults and children 3 months and older to manage mild to moderate pain, to manage moderate to severe pain alongside opioid pain medicines, and to reduce fever. A separate intravenous solution, Ibuprofen Lysine, is used specifically in premature infants to close a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) — an abnormal blood vessel connection near the heart — when standard medical management has not worked.

See full Ibuprofen drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Indole-3-carbinol

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Indole-3-carbinol — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
293Moderate
0Minor
2,536No known interaction
293 Moderate 2,536 No interaction
Moderate

293 interactions

Showing 60 of 293 moderate interactions — see all 293 on the Indole-3-carbinol page.

No interaction 2,536 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Indole-3-carbinol against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,536 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Indole-3-carbinol list.

See the full Indole-3-carbinol interactions page
See every supplement checked against Ibuprofen, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Indole-3-carbinol monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Ibuprofen supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Ibuprofen, ranked by severity Ibuprofen drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Indole-3-carbinol and Ibuprofen Together: Common Questions

Can you take Indole-3-carbinol with Ibuprofen?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Indole-3-carbinol and Ibuprofen interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Ibuprofen and Indole-3-carbinol?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.