Experts have raised alarms about the potential risks of combining common pain relievers, noting that this may contribute to antibiotic resistance, which is already linked to rising death rates.
Ibuprofen and paracetamol—also known as acetaminophen and sold as Tylenol in the U.S.—are popular for treating pain and lowering fevers. However, researchers in Australia have found that taking these two medications together can actually enhance antibiotic resistance when mixed with certain bacteria.
In a groundbreaking study, the team discovered that using ibuprofen and paracetamol with the antibiotic ciprofloxacin to tackle E. coli resulted in a significant rise in bacterial mutations. Consequently, this made the E. coli strain much more resistant to the antibiotic.
Health experts are now cautioning individuals to be more discerning when using multiple medications. While they emphasize the need for caution, they don’t suggest abandoning the use of these painkillers entirely.
Recently released statistics indicate that antibiotic-resistant infections and associated fatalities have surged past pre-pandemic levels. According to the UK Health Security Agency, over 66,000 people in England contracted antibiotic-resistant infections in 2023.
Professor Rietie Venter, a microbiology expert at the University of South Australia and the study’s lead author, stated the importance of understanding how these medications interact with antibiotics, particularly in care settings where patients often receive a variety of long-term treatments.
In this study published in the journal Antimicrobials and Resistance, researchers analyzed the effects of nine common medications used in care homes alongside E. coli treatment with ciprofloxacin. Professor Venter remarked that exposing bacteria to both ibuprofen and paracetamol led to an increase in genetic mutations, speeding up their growth and resistance.
Unsurprisingly, the E. coli exhibited resistance not just to ciprofloxacin but also to other antibiotics from various classes. The study revealed that both ibuprofen and paracetamol activate bacterial defenses, making antibiotics less effective.
The World Health Organization has estimated that antibiotic resistance was directly responsible for over 1.27 million deaths worldwide in 2019. It’s projected that this issue will worsen, especially among older populations, leading to more than double the current fatalities in the coming decades.
In particular, there is significant concern surrounding Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections, which can result in serious conditions like haemolytic uremic syndrome—making treatment increasingly complicated and often fatal.
What is Antibiotic Resistance?
For years, antibiotics have been prescribed unnecessarily, causing previously harmless bacteria to evolve into superbugs. The World Health Organization warns that without intervention, we are approaching a “post-antibiotic” era, where common infections could again become deadly. Misuse of antibiotics, either through incorrect dosing or over-prescription, contributes to this growing crisis.
Concerns have been voiced that if the effectiveness of antibiotics continues to decline, medical practices, including surgeries and treatments for serious conditions like cancer, will become exceedingly risky. Figures estimate that, if left unchecked, superbugs may kill around 10 million people annually by 2050, highlighting the urgent need for solutions to this looming crisis.
