If You Think Your "over-the-counter drugs" e.g. Advil, Motrin are Safe ....

by Margaret J. McMaster
(Kingsville, Ontario)

When my usually normal blood pressure climbed to 162/98, I decided I'd better discover the cause.

The only medication I was taking was ibuprofen (Advil / Motrin) for an aching back and sure enough, high blood pressure was listed as a side effect. I stopped taking it and my blood pressure quickly returned to normal.

Because we're so similar in our medical histories, my three brothers and I established an email hotline for experiences like this. Not long after relating this incident, one of my brothers emailed back to thank me for the heads-up.

He'd been taking ibuprofen for neck pain and since he stopped taking it, he's been able to reduce his high blood pressure medication significantly and should be off it altogether soon.