Ibuprofen Before Gum Surgery Raises Bleeding

TUESDAY, July 19 (HealthDay News) -- Individuals taking ibuprofen should stop using the drug before gum surgery, a new study suggests.

Blood loss during such surgery is two times greater for people using ibuprofen than for those not taking them, according to researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine.

Ibuprofen is one of a family of pain relievers called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which also includes the prescription drug Celebrex and over-the-counter medications such as aspirin or naproxen (Aleve).

The study involved 15 people who had two surgeries at Case Western's dental school. Before one of the surgeries, they were instructed to take ibuprofen but did not tell the periodontist performing the surgery about their use of the painkiller.

Researchers found the difference between patients using ibuprofen versus nonusers was an increase of approximately 15 milliliters of blood lost -- approximately double the amount of blood loss seen in patients not using the medication.

The study participants were split on whether ibuprofen helped ease pain during the surgery. About half the patients reported less pain, while the rest reported similar or increased pain.

The study's findings are in the July issue of the Journal of Periodontology.

More information
The National Institutes of Health have more about ibuprofen at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a682159.html.


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