Drug & supplement interaction

Olive + Ibuprofen

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

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Olive 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

Olive 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 Olive 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.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Olive at all — not against Ibuprofen, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

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.

Olive safety at a glance

Olive overall Use caution Olive as food and oil is very safe, but concentrated supplements are less studied.
Pregnancy Use caution Olive oil and olives as food are fine, but avoid concentrated supplements unless your doctor approves.
Breastfeeding Use caution Olives and olive oil are safe foods, but the safety of concentrated supplements is not well known.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Ibuprofen and Olive? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Olive and Ibuprofen May Share a Side Effect

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.

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

    Olive

    “Orally, three patients in one clinical trial reported headache after using olive leaf extract.”

    Olive · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    1 source cited
    1. 101860. Somerville V, Moore R, Braakhuis A. The effect of olive leaf extract on upper respiratory illness in high school athletes: A randomised control trial. Nutrients. 2019;11(2). pii: E358. PubMed

    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 Olive but not commonly for Ibuprofen: stomach upset and acne.

Effects for Ibuprofen come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Olive 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.

Overlapping uses

What Ibuprofen Is Prescribed For, and What Olive Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Ibuprofen is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Olive is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Ibuprofen is prescribed for: 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.

Olive has been studied for:

  • Osteoarthritis studied, not established Olive has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Olive for osteoarthritis

    It is unclear if oral olive fruit or leaf extract is beneficial for improving osteoarthritis.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Ibuprofen on your own; if you are taking Olive for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Olive 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 Olive 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 Olive 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 Olive as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 2,653 real supplement products containing Olive, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Olive. Even though Olive itself has no known interaction with Ibuprofen, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Olive 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 Olive
Top 10%

#113 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 Olive reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Olive 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 Olive

What is Olive?

Olive
  • Heart health
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol
  • Antioxidant support
  • Antimicrobial
  • General wellness

Olive comes from the same tree that gives us olives and olive oil, and its leaf and fruit contain antioxidant compounds like oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol. Olive oil as part of a Mediterranean diet is well-studied for heart health, but supplements made from olive leaf or fruit extract have less solid evidence. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before starting any supplement, especially if you have health conditions or take medications.

Olea europaea · Oleaceae · Leaves and fruit (including olive fruit pulp and olive oil) · Capsules, tablets, liquid extracts, teas, olive leaf extract, olive oil

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

Olive: dosing

There is no official standard dose for olive leaf or olive fruit supplements. Products vary widely in their strength and in how much oleuropein or hydroxytyrosol they contain.The best advice is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed the recommended amount.

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

Read the full Olive 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 & Olive

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

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
2,829 No interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,829 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Olive list.

See the full Olive interactions page
See every supplement checked against Ibuprofen, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Olive References

The 2 references that drive our Olive 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. Liccardi G, D'Amato M, D'Amato G. Oleaceae pollinosis: a review. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 1996;111:210-7. PubMed
  2. Somerville V, Moore R, Braakhuis A. The effect of olive leaf extract on upper respiratory illness in high school athletes: A randomised control trial. Nutrients. 2019;11(2). pii: E358. PubMed

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 Olive and Ibuprofen Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Olive with Ibuprofen?
We do not list a known interaction between Olive 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 Olive and Ibuprofen have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to one 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.
Are Olive and Ibuprofen used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Olive in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Ibuprofen is being adjusted to a target.
Does Ibuprofen interact with any supplements?
Yes. Ibuprofen has documented interactions with 286 supplements in our database — Olive 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

Where next

Keep Exploring

Olive monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Ibuprofen drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Ibuprofen supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Ibuprofen, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z Every drug we’ve checked against herbs & supplements References The 2 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Ibuprofen and Olive?

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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.