Ibuprofen gelatin cocktail touted on TikTok as method to delay periods — but is it safe?
She wasn’t going to let her period cramp her style.
Cardi B let it drop in an interview that — before going on a date with Offset, her now-estranged husband — she sipped on a special cocktail.
“I drank two ibuprofens and I drank gelatin … and that stopped my period,” bragged Cardi B, 31, prompting others to try the sweet suggestion.
Among those who swear by the technique is a TikToker who exclaimed this week that “it worked!”
“It’s been 2 1/2 to 3 hours since I drank that,” Alyssa Jeacoma gushed about her blue gelatinous ibuprofen mixture. “We’re f – – kin’!”
Celebrity and TikTok health advice should always be taken with a grain of salt — but, in this case, there’s some scientific evidence that ibuprofen might have a real effect on the timing of a woman’s period.
“Anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen and naproxen (Aleve) reduce the production of prostaglandins,” said Dr. Rebecca Russell of the Cleveland Clinic.
Prostaglandins are the natural compounds that help trigger the menstrual cycle each month.
Taking ibuprofen will only delay your period for a day or two — if at all, Russell added.
“While anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen may reduce or even delay your periods, there are no guarantees,” Russell said. “And the medicines will likely affect each person differently.”
Ibuprofen health risks
It would take a very high dose of ibuprofen to delay a woman’s period, high enough that it carries health risks.
“Stopping a period would require a higher dose than any over-the-counter bottle recommends: about 800 milligrams of ibuprofen, every six hours, or 500 milligrams of naproxen, three times a day,” said Russell. “This would have to be done very regularly.”
Those high doses of painkillers could come with severe side effects including kidney damage, stomach pain and ulcers, edema (swelling) and an increased risk of bleeding.
What about gelatin?
Gelatin is one of several home remedies that anecdotal reports and internet chatter claim will delay a period.
But like lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and gram lentils, there’s no medical evidence that gelatin in any form will delay or reduce a woman’s period, according to Healthline.
Plus, many of these home remedies can cause side effects like bloating, an upset stomach and flatulence.
Drugs that are proven to delay a period
Norethindrone is a prescription contraceptive that can also be used to delay the start of a period.
A doctor may prescribe three tablets a day, starting three or four days before you expect your period to begin. Once you stop taking the medicine, your period should begin in two or three days.
Women who use a progesterone-estrogen combo pill as birth control can also delay a period by skipping the placebo pills (the seven-day break when you typically bleed) and beginning a new pack of pills right away.
But Russell and other experts recommend that women check with their doctor before trying any of these approaches, as every woman is different, and what works for some might not work — or be safe — for others.
“For some, we won’t ever be able to completely stop your period, but we can slow or delay them,” said Russell.
