by Dr Pandula Siribaddana

Created on: April 13, 2010

What is ibuprofen?

Ibuprofen is a commonly used drug in mild to moderate aches and pains as well as for conditions giving rise to fever and inflammatory reactions. It belongs to the group of drugs known as the Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS) and the drug is available in many brand names including advil, motril…etc.

How does it work?

The drug acts by inhibiting the prostaglandin production through cyclo-oxygenase pathway which is the main cause for the development of pain and fever along with inflammatory reactions. It is available in the tablet, capsule as well as in the syrup form and it is a prescription only drug in the USA.

Cautionary measures?

Unlike certain other pain relievers and antipyretic medications such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen and related drugs are more likely to cause certain side effects in susceptible individuals. Therefore, ibuprofen is not recommended to be taken for more than 3 days for fever episodes and not more than 10 days for other instances of mild to moderate pain. It is also advised that the drug should not be taken in excess of 1.2 grams per day if the patient is being treated at home due to possible increase in the side effects when higher doses are used.

Side effects:

One of the major side effects with ibuprofen would be the development of gastric ulcers. These can manifest by abdominal pain or else as black tarry stools without the abdominal pain. Thus, when a patient is on this drug, these are to be watched. Apart from ulcers, the ibuprofen can also become allergenic to certain people. Thus, rashes, itching, nausea, vomiting…etc could become the main symptoms. In case there was a bleeding inside as in the case of ulcer formation, the blood pressure will drop and the patient can feel lightheadedness and dizziness as well.

The ibuprofen will have a blood thinning action and therefore, once a bleed occurs it may be difficult to control. This can become worse in patients who take aspirin and other blood thinning agents such as warferin. Thus, such interactions should be avoided at all instances when ibuprofen is being used. The drug can also reduce the blood flow towards the kidneys and therefore, kidney failure symptoms and signs can become worse during ibuprofen therapy. This can have a detrimental effect in case the patient is using medications that are excreted via the kidneys. If so, these drugs can accumulate in the blood and will give rise to toxic reactions. Lithium and gentamycin are such drugs that can accumulate in the blood if given with ibuprofen.

Summary:

Lastly, in order to reap the benefits of ibuprofen, it should be used cautiously according to recommendations. In case the drug is not effective within the first 24 hours, they should consult a physician and get things sorted.

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