Motrin, like most over-the-counter medications, comes with a host of potential side effects. Some users may experience headaches, nausea, fatigue or dizziness. Others may notice an allergic reaction or even gout as a result of frequent usage. But is Motrin a blood thinner? Many users are concerned that this popular ibuprofen product could have detrimental effects on their blood and the risk of bleeding excessively. Read on to learn more about Motrin and its potential as a blood thinner.
Is Motrin A Blood Thinner?
Motrin is a popular pain reliever medication that is available over the counter in most pharmacies. It’s typically used to treat mild to moderate pain and fever, as well as headaches, muscle aches, and sprains.
What Is A Blood Thinner?
Unlike blood thicker, blood thinners are medications that disrupt the process of blood clotting. Blood clots form when your blood’s platelets, which are responsible for clotting, come together and stick together to form clumps. Blood thinners accelerate this process or change the mechanisms through which blood clots, making the blood less able to clot and increasing the risk of bleeding. Blood thinners are often prescribed for individuals who are at a higher risk for excessive blood clotting. Blood thinners are used to prevent blood clots in a number of medical situations, including after surgery, and during long-term bed rest, as a way to prevent blood clots in people at high risk for blood clots, or to treat blood clots. Blood thinners are also used to treat and prevent blood clots in people with certain medical conditions, such as atrial fibrillation and deep vein thrombosis.
How Do Blood Thinners Work?
- Blood thinners are a group of medications that interfere with the process of blood clotting. This is done by interfering with the formation of blood clots, or by preventing the blood from clotting at all.
- Blood thinners work in many different ways to prevent or treat a number of medical conditions.
- They work by interfering with the formation of the protein that causes blood clots, called fibrinogen. When this protein is disrupted, it prevents the formation of clots and also prevents platelets from sticking together to form clumps, which are what make up a blood clot.
- Blood thinners also prevent platelets from sticking together to form a clot when they come into contact with certain substances in your body (called antigens). This helps prevent excessive bleeding after surgery and during long-term bed rest for people who are at higher risk for excessive bleeding due to their condition or treatment regimen—such as those undergoing cancer treatment, or those who have blood clotting.
- Blood thinners also prevent or slow the formation of clots by interfering with another process that causes blood to clot, called thrombin. When thrombin comes into contact with certain substances in your body, it causes blood clots to form.
- Blood thinners also work by preventing platelets from sticking together to form clumps when they come into contact with substances in your body (called antigens). This prevents excessive blood clotting.
- Blood thinners do not interfere with the process of blood clotting completely; they simply prevent the formation of large clumps of blood, which could cause excessive bleeding if they burst and cause a serious injury or bleed through your skin or other parts of your body.
- When you take a blood thinner, you may still experience some minor pain and discomfort when you have a cut or scrape on your skin, even after the bleeding has stopped and the wound has been treated with a band bleeding in people who are at risk of developing blood clots.
- They work by preventing the formation of blood clots in blood vessels, and by preventing the formation of blood clots that can block the flow of blood through a blood vessel.
- Blood thinners are also used to prevent excessive bleeding in people who have certain medical conditions, such as atrial fibrillation and deep vein thrombosis. In these cases, they help prevent excessive bleeding from developing as a result of abnormal heart rhythms or from clots forming in the veins, respectively.
- Blood thinners are used to prevent excessive bleeding or clotting after surgery or during long-term bed rest for people with certain medical conditions such as atrial fibrillation or deep vein thrombosis.
- Blood thinners are also used to treat and prevent excessive bleeding during pregnancy and after childbirth for women who have certain medical conditions such as deep vein thrombosis or atrial blood clotting during heart surgery, for example.
What Are The Side Effects Of Taking Motrin?
- Motrin is a pain reliever that is used to treat mild to moderate pain and fever. It is also used to relieve headaches, muscle aches, and sprains.
- Motrin may temporarily increase your risk of bleeding or bruising. This effect usually occurs because of the medication’s blood thinner effects. Bleeding and bruising are more likely to occur when taking Motrin with other medicines that can increase the risk of bleeding or bruising, such as aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), warfarin (Coumadin®) or other blood thinners like clopidogrel (Plavix®), heparin, or enoxaparin (Lovenox®).
- Use caution when taking Motrin with alcohol; alcohol may increase the risk of bleeding with this product.
- Motrin may be habit-forming and you should not take it for more than 4 days at a time.
- Motrin may cause dizziness, drowsiness, or blurred vision. Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how Motrin affects you.
- If you are pregnant, notify your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms: bleeding from the vagina or gastrointestinal (GI) tract, severe stomach pain, loss of appetite, yellowing of the skin or eyes, and/or dark-colored urine. If any of these symptoms occur while taking Motrin, consult with your doctor immediately because it could indicate a serious condition such as liver damage or bleeding in the GI tract that could cause death. It is also important to tell your doctor if you have been treated with a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin®), heparin (Lovenox®), or enoxaparin Lovenoxut.
- Motrin may cause dizziness or drowsiness, which can make you fall and injure yourself. Do not drive, operate machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how Motrin affects you.
- Motrin may cause a severe allergic reaction that can be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention. Get medical help if you have: swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat; difficulty breathing; hives; swelling of your hands, feet, or lower legs; rash, itching; fever with a headache and cough; changes in vision; numbness or tingling in your hands or feet; chest pain or tightness; coughing up blood; stomach pain (severe); nausea and vomiting that lasts more than 2 days (chills); joint pain (severe).
- Motrin may cause blood clots to form in the legs (deep vein thrombosis), heart (heart attack), and lungs product.
- It may take several weeks before you notice a difference in your pain or fever with Motrin.
- Motrin can cause drowsiness, dizziness, and loss of coordination. Use caution while driving or operating machinery until you know how you react to this medicine. Do not drink alcohol while taking Motrin; it may increase the risk of bleeding with this product.
- If you have any questions about your medical condition or treatment, ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
- Do not take more Motrin than prescribed by your doctor; doing so may increase the risk of bleeding with this product, especially if you are at risk for it.
- Always check with your doctor before taking Motrin if you are pregnant or breastfeeding; there are no adequate studies on the effects of taking Motrin during pregnancy on your baby.
Final Words
As we have discussed, regular use of Motrin can cause blood thinning properties. While this blood thinning effect is not strong enough to be prescribed as a blood thinner, it is enough to increase your risk of excessive bleeding. If you are at a higher risk for blood clots, it may be beneficial to take a blood thinner on occasion. However, if you take this medication regularly, it is important to be aware of the risks of taking a blood thinner. If you are taking Motrin on a regular basis, it is important to avoid activities that could increase your risk of excessive bleeding.