Drug & supplement interaction

Kaolin + Ibuprofen

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

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Kaolin and Ibuprofen in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Kaolin and Ibuprofen

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Ibuprofen and Kaolin in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Kaolin safety at a glance

Kaolin overall Use caution Generally considered low-risk for short-term use, but long-term or excessive use is not well studied.
Pregnancy Likely Safe When used orally in food amounts. Kaolin has Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status in the US. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Likely Safe When used orally in food amounts. Kaolin has Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status in the US. Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Ibuprofen and Kaolin? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Ibuprofen

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Ibuprofen is filed under 10 classifications — including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (nsaids), cytochrome p450 2c9 (cyp2c9) substrates, anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs. Kaolin has documented interactions with 4 drug classes — the most serious being clindamycin (cleocin) (moderate), digoxin (lanoxin) (moderate) and quinidine (moderate) — and none of Ibuprofen’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Kaolin Does Interact With Other Medications

Kaolin has 7 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Ibuprofen isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Kaolin

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Kaolin. Pick one to open its full report.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Kaolin and Ibuprofen May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Anemia Worth acting on Additional detail

    Kaolin

    “Orally, kaolin can cause constipation, particularly in children and the elderly (15). When consumed in large quantities, kaolin can cause intestinal obstruction, which can be fatal in severe cases. It can also interfere with absorption of nutrients.”

    Kaolin · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in anemia.

    4 sources cited
    1. 15. McEvoy GK, ed. AHFS Drug Information. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 1998.
    2. 101216. Dokoupil M, Marecová K, Handlos P, Brezina P. Death of a female prostitute due to intestinal obstruction by an unknown substance. J Forensic Sci 2019;64(1):289-91. doi: 10.1111/1556-4029.13824. PubMed
    3. 101218. Pain S, Fauconneau B, Bouquet E, Vasse-Terrier L, Pérault-Pochat MC. Severe craving associated with kaolin consumption. Eat Weight Disord 2019;24(2):379-81. doi: 10.1007/s40519-018-0583-1. PubMed
    4. 105862. Attarha BO, Mikulic S, Harris C, Scolapio JS. Kaolin Clay Anemia. Cureus 2021;13(3):e13796.

    Ibuprofen

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Ibuprofen. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Dizziness / Headache reported in 5.8% of FDA reports for Ibuprofen Additional detail

    Kaolin

    Recorded for Kaolin in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Anemia above.

    Ibuprofen

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Ibuprofen, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Kaolin but not commonly for Ibuprofen: a bowel blockage, stomach pain, constipation and fainting.

Effects for Ibuprofen come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Kaolin come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 283,500 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Ibuprofen that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Kaolin in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Likely Safe

When used orally in food amounts. Kaolin has Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status in the US.

Pregnancy And Lactation Possibly Safe

When used orally as kaolin-pectin in appropriate amounts.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

From our Q&A

Questions About Kaolin 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 Kaolin 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 Kaolin 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

How much people look this up

Where Kaolin 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 Kaolin
Steady interest

#1,201 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Ibuprofen
Top 1%

#19 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.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Kaolin reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Kaolin and Ibuprofen records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Kaolin

What is Kaolin?

Kaolin
  • Diarrhea
  • Upset stomach and nausea
  • Skincare and facial masks
  • Soothing minor skin irritation
  • Excessive salivation (traditional)

Kaolin is a soft, white clay mineral that has long been used in antidiarrheal products and skincare because it absorbs water and binds substances in the gut. Older diarrhea products often combined it with pectin, but modern guidelines favor rehydration and other treatments, and high-quality evidence for kaolin alone is limited. It is generally considered low-risk for short-term use, but check with your pharmacist or doctor before use, especially during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Mineral clay (hydrated aluminum silicate) · Oral suspensions, tablets, powders, topical pastes and masks

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Kaolin is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Kaolin record says about it on its own.

Kaolin: dosing

There is no single official supplement dose for kaolin, and products vary widely in strength and formulation. The best approach is to follow the directions on the product label exactly.Do not exceed the recommended amount or use it for longer than directed without medical advice.

From our Kaolin monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Kaolin 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.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Ibuprofen

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (283,500 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Fatigue 18,755 reports
Nausea 18,290 reports
Headache 16,566 reports
Arthralgia 13,469 reports
Dyspnea 13,139 reports
See full Ibuprofen drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Kaolin

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

0Major
7Moderate
0Minor
2,822No known interaction
Moderate

7 interactions

No interaction 2,822 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Kaolin References

The 18 references that drive our Kaolin monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. McEvoy GK, ed. AHFS Drug Information. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 1998.
  2. Barker G, Loftus L, Cuddy P, Barker B. The effects of sucralfate suspension and diphenhydramine syrup plus kaolin-pectin on radiotherapy-induced mucositis. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol 1991;71:288-93.
  3. Carnel SB, Blakeslee DB, Oswald SG, Barnes M. Treatment of radiation- and chemotherapy-induced stomatitis. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1990;102:326-30.
  4. Levin JL, Frank AL, Williams MG, et al. Kaolinosis in a cotton mill worker. Am J Ind Med 1996;29:215-21.
  5. Chaudhary BA, Kanes GJ, Pool WH. Pleural thickening in mild kaolinosis. South Med J 1997;90:1106-9.
  6. Altekruse EB, Chaudhary BA, Pearson MG, Morgan WK. Kaolin dust concentrations and pneumoconiosis at a kaolin mine. Thorax 1984;39:436-41.
  7. Rodin SM, Johnson BF. Pharmacokinetic interactions with digoxin. Clin Pharmacokinet 1988;15:227-44.
  8. Babhair SA, Tariq M. Effect of magnesium trisilicate and kaolin-pectin on the bioavailability of trimethoprim. Res Commun Chem Pathol Pharmacol 1983;40:165-8.
  9. Bucci AJ, Myre SA, Tan HS, Shenouda LS. In vitro interaction of quinidine with kaolin and pectin. J Pharm Sci 1981;70:999-1002.
  10. Allen MD, Greenblatt DJ, Harmatz JS, Smith TW. Effect of magnesium-aluminum hydroxide and kaolin-pectin on absorption of digoxin from tablets and capsules. J Clin Pharmacol 1981;21:26-30. PubMed
  11. Albert KS, Ayres JW, DiSanto AR, et al. Influence of kaolin-pectin suspension on digoxin bioavailability. J Pharm Sc 1978;67:1582-6.
  12. Albert KS, et al. Pharmacokinetic evaluation of a drug interaction between kaolin-pectin and clindamycin. J Pharm Sci 1978 67:1579-82.
  13. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Title 21. Part 182 -- Substances Generally Recognized As Safe. Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?CFRPart=182
  14. Black RA, Hill DA. Over-the-counter medications in pregnancy. Am Fam Physician 2003;67:2517-24.
  15. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Title 21. Part 335 - Antidiarrheal drug products for over-the-counter human use. Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=335.50

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Kaolin and Ibuprofen Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Kaolin with Ibuprofen?
We do not list a known interaction between Kaolin and Ibuprofen. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Do Kaolin and Ibuprofen have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 3 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
How was the Kaolin and Ibuprofen combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Ibuprofen is filed under 10 classifications, and Kaolin has documented interactions with 4 drug classes — none of Ibuprofen's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Kaolin interact with any other medications?
Yes. Kaolin has 7 documented drug interactions in our database — Ibuprofen is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Ibuprofen interact with any supplements?
Yes. Ibuprofen has documented interactions with 286 supplements in our database — Kaolin is not one of them. The Ibuprofen interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Still Have a Question About Ibuprofen and Kaolin?

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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.