Is Willow Bark Safe with Ibuprofen?
Free · No account · based on published sources including NIH ODS, FDA drug labels, and peer-reviewed literature
Do not take willow bark with ibuprofen. Willow bark contains salicin (aspirin-like compound), and combining them significantly raises the risk of stomach ulcers and GI bleeding. Seek medical advice for alternative pain management.
Why this interaction occurs
Willow bark contains salicin, metabolized to salicylate, which shares pharmacological overlap with NSAIDs. Combined use leads to additive COX inhibition, increasing GI mucosal damage, ulceration risk, and antiplatelet effects beyond either agent alone.
Evidence
Evidence level: moderate.
Reported safety data
The FDA’s adverse event reporting system (FAERS) has received 218,701 reports mentioning Ibuprofen. This reflects reported cases involving the medication in general — not confirmed causation, and not specific to the Ibuprofen + supplement combination on this page.
FAERS reports are voluntary and cannot prove that a drug caused an event. Do not use report counts to assess the safety of this specific drug-supplement pair.
Frequently asked questions
Related interactions
All Willow Bark interactions → · All Ibuprofen interactions →
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Educational only — not medical advice.
Always confirm with your doctor or pharmacist.