What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Ibuprofen and nabumetone
Ibuprofen's FDA label (Caldolor) of January 29, 2026 names nabumetone in its drug interactions section; nabumetone's label does not name ibuprofen itself but warns about its class (NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)). The ibuprofen label: “Concomitant use of CALDOLOR and pemetrexed, may increase the risk of pemetrexed-associated myelosuppression, renal, and GI toxicity.”
Check it at the source: the ibuprofen FDA label on DailyMed (effective January 1, 2026, Savings Distributors LLC); the nabumetone FDA label on DailyMed (effective January 13, 2025, ScieGen Pharmaceuticals Inc).
What does the ibuprofen label say about nabumetone?
Caldolor label (Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc., January 29, 2026), drug interactionsPemetrexed Clinical Impact: Concomitant use of CALDOLOR and pemetrexed, may increase the risk of pemetrexed-associated myelosuppression, renal, and GI toxicity (…). … regarding potential interaction between pemetrexed and NSAIDs with longer half-lives (e.g., meloxicam, nabumetone), patients taking these NSAIDs should interrupt dosing for at least five days before, the day of, and two days following pemetrexed administration.
Source: FDA drug label (Caldolor, NDA022348), Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc., effective January 29, 2026 (SPL set 1eaa7790-f1a1-4f51-b10a-cbbaf033f684), via openFDA
Source: FDA drug label (Motrin IB), NDA019012 (Kenvue Brands), as published by Savings Distributors LLC, effective January 1, 2026 (SPL set 56846774-8413-c306-e063-6394a90a2be8), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the nabumetone label say about ibuprofen?
Nabumetone's label does not name ibuprofen itself; it warns about its class (NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)):
Nabumetone label, boxed warningNSAIDs 1 cause an increased risk of serious gastrointestinal adverse events including bleeding, ulceration, and perforation of the stomach or intestines, which can be fatal.
Nabumetone label, boxed warningCardiovascular Thrombotic Events Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) cause an increased risk of serious cardiovascular thrombotic events, including myocardial infarction and stroke, which can be fatal.
Source: FDA drug label (Nabumetone), ScieGen Pharmaceuticals Inc, effective January 13, 2025 (SPL set 80c6888d-03b4-44f3-b94d-bcf5154ceae5), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
These are the labels' own sentences. PlainMeds does not grade interactions; a pharmacist or prescriber can say what they mean for one person's medicines.
Both medicines on the record
| Ibuprofen | Nabumetone | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Fever, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Pain, Cough and cold | Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis |
| Boxed warning | Yes | Yes |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $0.0573 per tablet 800 mg tablet | $0.128 per tablet 500 mg tablet |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
Source: FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026 and the FDA Drug Shortage Database (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Check more medicines together
- up to five at once