Ibuprofen does not increase postpartum blood pressure

(HealthDay)—Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, do not increase blood pressure among postpartum women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, according to a study published online Nov. 4 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Christina A. Penfield, M.D., M.P.H., from the University of California Irvine Medical Center, and colleagues conducted a double-blind trial in which women with a diagnosis of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and mild hypertension were randomly assigned to receive a postpartum analgesic regimen with either ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Overall, 31 and 30 participants in the ibuprofen and acetaminophen groups, respectively, completed the trial.

The researchers found no difference in postpartum average arterial pressure between the study groups (93±8 mm Hg and 93±7 mm Hg in the ibuprofen and acetaminophen groups, respectively). Breakthrough opioid medications were requested by 24 percent of patients in the ibuprofen group and 30 percent in the acetaminophen group. Length of hospital stay was no longer in the ibuprofen group (48 versus 43 hours), and the rate of postpartum diuresis did not differ significantly (61 versus 77 percent).

"The findings of our study suggest that both acetaminophen and NSAIDs are effective and can be used safely in women with mild hypertension," the authors write.

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