Effects of Ibuprofen

[rilesnic]

Just a quick question about the effects of Ibuprofen on the heart. Sometimes when I feel I'm having a bad "heart" day, either really strong beats followed by weak ones, or my PVC's/PAC's, I will take an advil and I usually start feeling better. I mentioned this to my PCP once and he said Ibuprofen has many effects on the body, it's not just a fever reducer/pain reliever so it very well could be effecting the heart. It makes me wonder if it has anything to do with blood pressure (although mine is usually very low 90/60). Any thoughts?

[msturnpat1947]

My GP put me on 800 mg ibuprofen for neck pain.  I also have very high blood pressure and am on 5 pills daily for it.  After taking this medicine for a few weeks, I started getting pvcs pretty bad.  They were somewhere from every 5 to every 11 heartbeat.  I called my heart doctor and he told me to stop taking the ibuprofen.  The pvcs immediately stopped as soon as the ibuprofen got out of my system.  Ibuprofen definitely can cause pvcs.

[itdood]

Lookup c-reactive protein a.k.a. CRP.  read everything you can on it.  You'll see where I'm coming from on the low-level inflammation hypothesis.

CRP more strongly correlates to CAD than cholesterol levels.  If it's affecting arteries bad I'm sure it's not friendly to heart muscle.

CRP increases with the following factors, all I've which I've heard from people seems to be triggers for ectopic beats

Starchy food, foods with refined sugars.  Increases CRP, increases ectopics.
Stress.  Increases CRP, increases ectopics.
Higher weight.  Increases CRP, increases ectopics.

What lowers CRP levels?

Statins
Ibuprofen

All this evidence points in the same direction.

I've had tests for CRP and it was high.  It lowered to within normal ranges when I went on simvastatin.  My cholesterol also came down.  Right around that time I had a significant decrease in my PVCs.  Can't say for sure if that's tied together.  Time will tell.

It's kinda funny, ya know what they used to call all this stuff 30 years ago?  aging.  :(

[ireneo]

Interesting because the last cardio I saw said I shouldn't take ibuprofen because it may increase my arrhythmias. Then again, he's the same one who said the chest pain I've been having during exertion "probably isn't heart related." Sure, everyone gets grabbing chest pain when they rush through the parking lot. Right?

[rilesnic]

This could be the answer for many people. If doctors could find out what is causing the inflammation (that being the big question I would guess), and treat the inflammation, maybe some of these ectopic beats could be decreased.This answer makes complete sense to me with the symptoms I am feeling. I've been tested many times for autoimmune diseases (never diagnosed, just lots of symptoms), aka inflammatory diseases if my nursing memory serves me right. Thanks for responding and searching!

[itdood]

p.s., I decided right after I posted to do a quick search and I found this blerb on Wikipedia in an article about what might cause ectopic beats:

" Inflammation of the myocardium (as occurs in myocarditis) and systemic inflammation cause surges of cytokines, which can affect the electrical properties of myocytes and may be ultimately responsible for causing irritability of myocytes."

These low level types of inflammation processes go on almost undetectable but have been suspect in all sorts of heart issues.

[itdood]

That's a good question, I've wondered about this often.  Ibuprofen is a non steroidal anti inflammatory (NSAID).    

One of my guesses on what might play a role in causing some varieties of benign ectopics like PACs/PVCs is some sort of low level inflammation process either with the heart muscle or pericardium.  There's quite a few reasons why I suspect it, I won't go into detail because I'm too tired right now.    If that were the case then an anti inflammatory like ibuprofen might provide some relief.

I've heard others report that prednisone had this affect on them too.  Prednisone also has strong anti inflammatory properties, though prednisone is a steroid.  

[beema36]

I don't know the reasoning behind it but 2 cardiologists, my electrophysilogist and pcp all said not to use with high bp. I asked a pharmacist and she said same thing.

[rilesnic]

Thanks for the replies! I do take a beta-blocker, atenolol 12.5 mg QHS. I knew there was an interaction, but my doctors have all ok'd me taking advil....maybe because I take the atenolol for tachycardia and PAC's not for high BP??? My pharmacist told me not to take advil within an hour of taking the atenolol, so I usually take the advil in the morning if my heart is acting up...I almost get like a throbbing in my head...a whoosh if you will, with strong and weak heart beats, almost sluggish, making me think my BP may be up some???? But it may just be a headache that is making me feel bad. I believe my atenolol wears off by the time I get up in the mornings because the dose is so small...I also believe that is why I feel a lot of my PAC's and PVC's in the afternoon, but taking it in the morning, or more of it, completely wipes me out.

[CFS56]

Ibuprophen interacts with beta blockers interfering with their ability to lower blood pressure.  I would think if you aren't taking beta blockers it would have very little if any effect on your blood pressure.

[beema36]

Ibuprohen can raise bp. My husband and I are both on bp Meds and are told we cant take it.

[Jerry_NJ]

I think there is very little if any affect on blood pressure (ibuprofen).  But, I know it is generally accepted that aspirin (ibuprofen too I assume) has some heart benefits.  I think most or all of that comes from the affect aspirin has on the blood platelets, makes them more slippery ( I think) - thus less chance of a clot formation, maybe some lowering of blood pressure, but I still think very little affect on BP.