Can Gabapentin Be Taken With Acetaminophen Or Ibuprofen?

Answer

Yes, gabapentin can safely be taken with either Tylenol (acetaminophen) or ibuprofen (generic for Advil and Motrin). There is no known interaction between them.

In fact, a number of studies show that combining either Tylenol or ibuprofen with gabapentin can improve pain symptoms more than either drug alone. Let's take a look at each combination.

Gabapentin With Tylenol (Acetaminophen)

Studies have shown that the combination of gabapentin and Tylenol can have two potential benefits:

• Decreased pain symptoms post-surgery
• Decreased need for opioids post-surgery

One such study reported the following:

The addition of preoperative gabapentin and acetaminophen to a VATS lobectomy [video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lung lobe removal] multimodal analgesic regimen reduces the incidence of high dose postoperative opioid consumption without observed negative side effects.

Gabapentin and Tylenol (acetaminophen) work in different ways, and are typically used for different types of pain (e.g., nerve pain vs. general musculoskeletal pain) and don't share many similar side effects (aside from general nausea, etc.,) so it's not surprising that their combined use can be more effective than either alone.

You can feel safe combining gabapentin with Tylenol.

Gabapentin With Ibuprofen

Just as with Tylenol, gabapentin is also safe to take with ibuprofen. This is a question we've answered before (which you can find here) and similar to what I wrote above, many studies have found the combined use of gabapentin and ibuprofen to be more effective than either drug alone.

One such study reported:

Gabapentin and ibuprofen independently alter the facilitated state as measured by somatomotor and autonomic response. Together these agents interact in an additive fashion if delivered concurrently. This combination may prove useful in managing postinjury pain states in humans.

Similar studies, which have evaluated the combined use of gabapentin with a different NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug), naproxen (generic of Aleve), have found the same results:

These data suggest that gabapentin + naproxen and pregabalin + naproxen can interact synergistically or additively to reverse thermal hyperalgesia associated with peripheral inflammation. Therefore, the use of gabapentin or pregabalin in low-dose combinations with naproxen may afford therapeutic advantages for clinical treatment of persistent inflammatory pain.

Final Words

I hope you found this answer helpful in showing that there is no interaction between gabapentin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen. Your symptoms may actually be better treated when you take gabapentin with either or those pain relievers.