Healthcare (Commonwealth Union) – When we feel ill, most of us turn to common over-the-counter medications such as paracetamol and Ibuprofen. However, recent research from the University of South Australia has indicated that these everyday medications may be quietly playing a role in one of the most pressing health challenges in the world: antibiotic resistance.
Scientists have discovered in groundbreaking research that ibuprofen and paracetamol do not just strengthen antibiotic resistance when consumed separately, but also when combined together.
The team examined how these non-antibiotic drugs interact with the broad-spectrum antibiotic ciprofloxacin and the common bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli), which often causes gastrointestinal and urinary tract infections. They found that ibuprofen and paracetamol substantially increased bacterial mutations, making E. coli far more resistant to the antibiotic.
This finding carries significant health implications, particularly for individuals in aged care facilities, where multiple medications are frequently administered.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has marked antimicrobial resistance as a key global public health challenge, noting that bacterial resistance was directly linked to 1.27 million deaths across the globe in 2019.
According to lead researcher Associate Professor Rietie Venter from UniSA, these findings highlight significant concerns about the dangers of multiple medication use in aged care settings.
Associate Professor Venter emphasized that although antibiotics have been a common treatment for infectious diseases, their overuse and misuse have contributed to the global increase in bacteria resistant to antibiotics.
She added that this issue is especially noticeable in residential aged care facilities, where elderly residents frequently take multiple medications, including antibiotics, painkillers, blood pressure medications, and sleep aids, which creates the perfect environment for the development of resistance in gut bacteria.
“In this study we looked at the effect of non-antibiotic medicines and ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic which is used to treat common skin, gut or urinary tract infections.
“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. Worryingly, the bacteria were not only resistant to the antibiotic ciprofloxacin, but increased resistance was also observed to multiple other antibiotics from different classes.
Prior research has noted that the role of protein structures that pump toxic molecules out of the cells of certain bacteria can play a key role in antibiotic resistance.
Associate Prof. Venter stated that they also found the genetic mechanisms behind this resistance, with ibuprofen and paracetamol both turning on the bacterial defences to eliminate antibiotics and make them less effective.
The research examined nine drugs frequently administered in residential aged care settings: ibuprofen (an anti-inflammatory pain reliever), diclofenac (used to manage arthritis-related inflammation), acetaminophen (paracetamol, for pain and fever), furosemide (for controlling high blood pressure), metformin (for managing elevated blood sugar in diabetes), atorvastatin (to reduce cholesterol and blood fats), tramadol (a stronger analgesic often prescribed after surgery), temazepam (for treating sleep disturbances), and pseudoephedrine (a decongestant).
Associate Professor Venter notes that the findings reveal antibiotic resistance is a far more intricate problem than previously recognized, with everyday non-antibiotic drugs contributing to the issue as well.
Associate Professor Venter pointed out that antibiotic resistance is no longer solely linked to antibiotics.
She indicated that this research highlights the importance of carefully evaluating the risks associated with polypharmacy—especially in aged care, where residents frequently take multiple long-term medications.
Associate Professor Venter stressed however that is not a call to stop using these drugs, but it does underline the need to pay closer attention to how they might interact with antibiotics, extending the focus beyond just pairs of medications.
The researchers are urging more studies on drug interactions in individuals taking long-term medication, to better understand how everyday medicines might affect the effectiveness of antibiotics.
