The short answer
Evening primrose oil can alter some laboratory platelet responses, but increased bleeding with flurbiprofen has not been established. Review the exact oil and your risk factors before adding it.
What this answer covers
Oral evening primrose oil during prescription oral flurbiprofen treatment. Defined oil and GLA content differ from isolated GLA and other oils.
- Supplement or preparation
- Evening Primrose Oil
- Medication ingredient
- flurbiprofen
The human study measured platelet responses
A study in postmenopausal women used evening primrose oil 2 g daily for 60 days. Some platelet responses decreased, while responses to other tested triggers did not. The study was too small to assess clinical outcomes and did not establish bleeding caused by combining the oil with flurbiprofen.
It is not established stomach protection
An older trial found that evening primrose oil did not protect against aspirin-induced gastric blood loss. Failure to protect is not the same as showing that the oil increased bleeding. It also does not establish the result with flurbiprofen or justify taking the oil to prevent NSAID ulcers.
Check the oil and other medicines
Review the oil dose, GLA content and all other ingredients with your pharmacist. The platelet study had variable assay numbers, other medication use and effects that persisted through washout. Its results cannot supply a safe dose or a protective spacing schedule for flurbiprofen.
Know when to get help
oral flurbiprofen tablets can cause serious GI bleeding even without a supplement. Seek urgent care for vomiting blood or black, tarry stools, and report persistent stomach pain or unusual bleeding. Tell your prescriber about other pain medicines, aspirin and anticoagulants. A few hours of separation has not been shown to prevent an added bleeding effect.
Evidence and practical considerations
Side effects & toxicity
Increased clinical bleeding from evening primrose oil with flurbiprofen has not been established.
- Exact scope
- Oral evening primrose oil during prescription oral flurbiprofen treatment. Defined oil and GLA content differ from isolated GLA and other oils. with Exact flurbiprofen RxCUI 4502 IN, confirmed by RxNorm. Oral racemic tablets; ophthalmic flurbiprofen sodium, lozenges and other routes are not covered.
- Medication form and route
- Oral
What remains uncertain
- Original supplementation study measured platelet responses, not bleeding outcomes; carryover and other medication use limit interpretation. Aspirin trial showed no protection, not proven worsening with flurbiprofen.
Factors that may matter: Exact preparation and dose; Fasting versus fed dosing; Bleeding and ulcer history; Other medicines.
Read the supporting source summaries
Source 1: Current prescribing information
dailymed.nlm.nih.gov · Source check Sep 10, 2026
Population: Prescription oral oral flurbiprofen tablets users; short human pharmacology studies where described.
Warns of serious GI bleeding, renal toxicity and hyperkalemia. Bleeding risk assessment includes other medicines affecting hemostasis. Food or antacids may alter absorption rate but not extent.
How this applies: Exact current product label. Exact flurbiprofen RxCUI 4502 IN, confirmed by RxNorm. Oral racemic tablets; ophthalmic flurbiprofen sodium, lozenges and other routes are not covered.
No exact botanical co-use risk estimate. Class safety text is not a measured incidence for each supplement; other routes and sodium ophthalmic products differ.
Source 2: Original clinical research
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · Source check Sep 10, 2026
Population: Postmenopausal women aged 40-70, including some with diabetes; 90 enrolled, varying assay sample counts.
Some platelet responses to low-dose PAR4 stimulation decreased; responses to several other agonists did not. Effects persisted through the 14-day washout.
How this applies: Indirect for oral flurbiprofen tablets co-use; exact preparation and endpoint retained.
No clinical bleeding endpoint or exact flurbiprofen combination. Initial NSAID/aspirin restriction but substantial background medication use; carryover and variable assay numbers limit inference. Do not adopt the authors’ broad prevention/safety inference.
Source 3: Original clinical research
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · Source check Sep 10, 2026
Population: 20 healthy volunteers in randomized crossover.
Primrose oil increased gastric PGE2 release but did not protect against aspirin-induced gastric blood loss.
How this applies: Indirect for oral flurbiprofen tablets co-use; exact preparation and endpoint retained.
Abstract-only; failure to protect is not proof of increased bleeding compared with aspirin alone. Not flurbiprofen and not a prevention recommendation.
Source 4: Medication terminology
rxnav.nlm.nih.gov · Source check Sep 10, 2026
Population: Terminology.
flurbiprofen is IN.
How this applies: Exact identity.
Not clinical evidence.
Research assessment: · Open full citations ↗
Review and change history
- Publication status
- Published research summary
- Clinical review
- Not yet recorded
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| Article prepared | |
| Sources checked and article drafted. | |
| Research summary published |
Article revision: e61b80de2c67a03d
This guide brings together the evidence records used by our interaction checker. Each finding retains its own preparation limits, research date, and source summaries.
Full citations require verification. Reading this answer and the source summaries does not.
Taking other supplements or medications?
Use the checker to explore your other combinations. Ask a pharmacist to review the exact products, amounts and medical conditions in your complete list.
Open the interaction checkerInformation, not medical advice. Do not change prescribed treatment based on this guide.