Everyday painkillers linked to a global health threat

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It turns out two of the most common painkillers found in almost every household — ibuprofen and paracetamol — may be making one of the world’s biggest health threats even worse: antibiotic resistance.

The World Health Organisation has long warned that bacterial resistance is a major global health crisis, directly responsible for more than 1.27 million deaths in 2019. Now, new research from the University of South Australia has shown that everyday painkillers could be fuelling the problem.

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers found that both ibuprofen and paracetamol can drive antibiotic resistance on their own — and when taken together, they can actually make it worse.

One of the clearest examples came when the drugs were combined with ciprofloxacin, a common broad-spectrum antibiotic, to treat E. coli. Instead of helping, the mix triggered more bacterial mutations, making the E. coli highly resistant not just to ciprofloxacin, but to several other antibiotics as well.

“Worryingly, the bacteria were not only resistant to the antibiotic ciprofloxacin, but increased resistance was also observed to multiple other antibiotics from different classes,” lead researcher Associate Professor Rietie Venter explained. The study showed that the painkillers effectively activated the bacteria’s defences, helping them expel antibiotics and making treatments far less effective.

The team also looked at other common medications like metformin (used for diabetes) and pseudoephedrine (a decongestant) and found similar warning signs. Their conclusion? Antibiotic resistance isn’t just about antibiotics anymore.

Venter stressed that people shouldn’t suddenly stop using these everyday medications. Instead, the message is that doctors and researchers need to be more mindful of how common drugs interact with antibiotics — especially for vulnerable groups like aged care residents, who often take multiple medications daily.

“Antibiotics have long been vital in treating infectious diseases, but their widespread overuse and misuse have driven a global rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria,” Venter said. “This research shows we need to start looking at the bigger picture of how all medicines may be contributing to the problem.”

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