Common Painkillers Like Ibuprofen, Paracetamol May Accelerate Antibiotic Resistance: Study Suggests

“When bacteria were exposed to ciprofloxacin alongside ibuprofen and paracetamol, they developed more genetic mutations than with the antibiotic alone, helping them grow faster and become highly resistant,” said Associate Professor Rietie Venter, lead researcher of the study. “Worryingly, the bacteria were not only resistant to the antibiotic ciprofloxacin, but increased resistance was also observed to multiple other antibiotics from different classes.”

The research also identified that both ibuprofen and paracetamol activated bacterial defence mechanisms, enabling them to expel antibiotics and reduce their effectiveness. The study evaluated nine commonly prescribed drugs in aged care settings, including tramadol, diclofenac, metformin, and pseudoephedrine, raising concerns about the role of polypharmacy in elderly populations.

Researchers have called for further studies into long-term medication regimes to better understand how everyday medicines may be contributing to the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.

Reference: Chen, H., Sapula, S.A., Turnidge, J. et al. The effect of commonly used non-antibiotic medications on antimicrobial resistance development in Escherichia coli. npj Antimicrob Resist 3, 73 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44259-025-00144-w