Spanish doctor issues paracetamol and ibuprofen storage warning: 'It can deactivate them and make them work less effectively'

Ibuprofen and paracetamol are considered the two most widely used medicines in Spanish households. Both are analgesics, although ibuprofen has a more anti-inflammatory effect, while paracetamol is more antipyretic, i.e. it is intended to reduce fever but does so symptomatically, without treating the cause.

There is not a house in Spain where they are not present, both in the form of pills and syrups, but people rarely pay attention to where they store them - a factor that plays a big role in their efficiency. For that reason, Dr Manuel Viso has shared a video, in which he tackles the topic.

"Should they be kept in the fridge?" is the question that the expert answers on his Instagram account. "They can be stored at room temperature," Viso says, but "ambient temperatures in the home vary a lot. For example, in the morning, when the heating is off, the house is colder and at night, when the heating is on, it is warmer. These thermal variations can alter the composition of ibuprofen and paracetamol." However, he assures that the alterations depending on temperatures are not harmful as they simply make the medicines less effective.

That is why Viso recommends that, once the medicine has been opened, it is kept in the fridge. "Firstly, because it makes the taste better," when it concerns syrups, "and secondly, because we will have a more stable temperature that allows the medicine not to spoil." Therefore, the fridge does make the medicine more effective once it has been opened.

Finally, the expert warns that, when stored in the fridge, syrups might thicken. That is why "it is advisable to shake" the bottle before administering the medicine so that it regains its normal consistency.