Ibuprofen is rightfully considered the most effective and common remedy for treating the symptoms of colds and acute respiratory viral infections. Some patients successfully relieve fever with its help and consider it an antipyretic, while others relieve serious pain of a chronic nature, for example, in the spine. The fact is that Ibuprofen has three properties at the same time: anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic.
Ibuprofen
Indications for use
Ibuprofen belongs to the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) - derivatives of phenylpropionic acid. In the instructions for tablets and capsules for adults, we see primarily prescriptions related to the symptomatic treatment of diseases of the joints or spine (rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, bursitis, sciatica), the fight against pain from injuries, myalgia and neuritis. In children's forms, we find the following indications: sore throat, pain with otitis media, teething, reduction of fever during ARVI or influenza, relief of symptoms of fever during childhood infections and post-vaccination reactions.
Of course, the indications are not limited to those mentioned above. We list here the most common types of pathologies where Ibuprofen does an excellent job eliminating inflammation and pain:
- Pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, pain relief: ankylosing spondylitis, radiculitis, spinal osteochondrosis, exacerbation of gout, polyarthrosis, psoriatic arthritis, tendinitis, inflammation of soft tissues in injuries, back pain, joint pain, trauma, sprains, dislocations, myalgia of various types .
- Diseases of the peripheral nervous system: neuralgia and neuritis.
- Gynecology: primary dysmenorrhea, secondary dysmenorrhea, pain during painful menstruation, with adnexitis.
- Relief of various types of pain: toothache, headache, migraine, sore throat, ear pain with otitis media, muscle pain.
- Use as an antipyretic for fever, flu, ARVI and colds. Increased temperature in infectious and inflammatory diseases.
- Relief after vaccination, including against coronavirus.
When to take medicine
The medicine in tablet form is effective for the following conditions:
- inflammatory processes in the spine and joints;
- moderate pain of various origins (menstrual, headache, toothache, pain after surgery);
- fever caused by a cold infection.
Gel and ointment should be used in the following cases: osteoarthritis, arthritis, gout and other diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
Suppositories and syrup are usually prescribed to children to reduce body temperature, for various childhood infections and to reduce pain (in the head, throat, ear).
What forms does Ibuprofen come in?
In pharmacies you can find four dosage forms of the drug:
- If there are no contraindications related to the gastrointestinal tract, then people usually choose tablets or capsules.
- In cases where there is a stomach disease in the acute stage or the patient for some reason cannot swallow a tablet, suppositories are prescribed.
- Syrups are prescribed to infants. Most pediatricians prefer to reduce fever using Ibuprofen rather than Paracetamol, since the former acts faster and longer, and also has a lower safety profile due to the absence of toxic metabolites.
- For pain in the joints, muscles, back, and injuries, the ointment is ideal.
Use during pregnancy and breastfeeding
It is not advisable to take ibuprofen and certain medications while pregnant. Although fever and pain pose a threat, the corresponding signs require quick elimination.
Ibuprofen, as recommended by your doctor, can be taken in the 2nd trimester; you should not be treated with it if there are contraindications. The medicine is contraindicated in the first or third trimester of pregnancy.
When breastfeeding, the medicine also quickly eliminates fever and eliminates pain. However, it can pass into breast milk and cause some harm to the baby, although there will be no serious health hazard. If there is an urgent need to take medication, the tablet should be taken after feeding. The concentration of the active substance in milk reaches a large amount 2 hours after administration, and then begins to rapidly decrease.
Instructions for taking Ibuprofen for adults and children.
- A single dosage for an adult is 200 mg; in case of severe pain, you can take 400 mg, the dosage frequency is 3-4 times a day, but not more than 1200 mg per day.
- A single dose for a child over 6 years old is 200 mg, can be taken 3-4 times a day. The maximum dosage for children per day differs by age as follows: for children 12-17 years old - 1000 mg; for children aged 6 to 12 years - 800 mg.
Ibuprofen Welfarm for adults
How many days can you take Ibuprofen?
The drug is taken for 2-3 days; if the patient’s condition does not improve or becomes worse, it is necessary to stop taking it and consult a doctor.
When is it appointed?
Ibuprofen is to some extent a harmless drug, but if there are contraindications noted in the instructions, you should stop using the medicine. The opposite can lead to dire consequences. In addition, you cannot take an increased dose of medication, as there is a serious danger to life and health.
Benefits for headaches
Ibuprofen will be a good help when you suffer from excruciating headaches. In particular, it is prescribed for migraines, characterized by prolonged pain. In this situation, the drug should be used as soon as possible after the onset of migraine symptoms. If your health does not improve, repeat taking the medicine after 5 hours. This treatment regimen is very effective and most often leads to a positive result.
When nervous tension occurs, “discomfort” occurs; in this situation, an Ibuprofen tablet will help.
Ibuprofen for toothache and menstruation
The medicine is a pathognomonic drug. If there is no way to get an appointment with a dentist, you can take an Ibuprofen tablet to relieve toothache. You should not take more than 6 tablets of the drug per day, the treatment course is a maximum of 5 days.
Ibuprofen will be useful after implant placement and tooth extraction; it will help relieve pain.
During menstruation, many women experience pain; to relieve it, it is advisable to take Ibuprofen. However, you should beware of overdose. The first dosage should be 400 mg; if the discomfort does not go away, after a few hours you will have to repeat the medication.
Treatment in this case should not exceed 3 days; if a positive result is not noted, consult a doctor.
Ibuprofen for colds
Each property of the drug is very effective for various types of colds. After taking Ibuprofen, the fever quickly passes, pain decreases, due to which the patient’s condition quickly returns to normal.
To treat colds, tablets can be prescribed to persons over 12 years of age. The doctor may prescribe a different dosage than indicated in the instructions. Of course, Ibuprofen alone is not enough to get rid of a cold, but its anti-inflammatory properties help enhance the effects of other medications. Thanks to all this, recovery is accelerated.
Ibuprofen for fever
With many illnesses, people's body temperature rises; Ibuprofen will help reduce it. The pharmaceutical is prescribed as part of a complex therapeutic course for various diseases:
- Cold
- Injuries
- ENT diseases
- Viral, bacterial infections
- Joint and muscle pain
Ibuprofen for children
Ibuprofen in the form of syrup for children is used from the age of 3 months and can begin to act within 15 minutes. The tablets take effect within 30 minutes.
How to use baby syrups?
Children's syrups are usually made using fruit fillings and therefore children take them with pleasure. For the little ones there is a measuring syringe complete with syrup, where 1 ml contains a certain dose of Ibuprofen.
It is necessary to follow the manufacturer's instructions, the maximum daily dosage for a child is 30 mg per 1 kg of body weight, the interval between doses is from 6 to 8 hours. As we noted earlier, the duration of treatment should not exceed 3 days. Syrups are popular and therefore they are often designed for use up to 12 years, although tablets can also be used from 6 years.
The dose of syrup for a child can be determined from the table.
| Child's age | Body weight in kg | Dosage | Maximum dose per day |
| 3-6 months | 5kg-7.6kg | 50 mg up to 3 times a day | 150 mg |
| 6-12 months | 7.7-9 kg | 50 mg up to 3-4 times a day | 200 mg |
| 1-3 years | 10-16 kg | 100 mg up to 3 times a day | 300 mg |
| 4-6 years | 17-20 kg | 150 mg up to 3 times a day | 450 mg |
Ibuprofen ointment 5%
The drug is widely used as an external agent. Ointments and gels are produced in pure form or with the addition of cooling agents.
The ointment helps with arthritis, sprains, pain from damaged ligaments, back pain, sports injuries, and neuralgia.
How to use Ibuprofen ointment?
Usually the ointment is prescribed to adults and children over 14 years of age.
The dosage depends on the manufacturing company. A gel from 4 to 10 cm approximately contains 50 – 125 mg of the drug and this is a single dose. The product should be gently rubbed into the skin. Reapply no earlier than after 4 hours. The maximum daily dose is 500 mg.
Ibuprofen ointment
Composition and release form
The medicine is available in several forms:
- pills;
- ointment;
- gel;
- candles;
- children's oral suspension.
The active substance is ibuprofen.
Auxiliary components in the tablets: potato starch, magnesium stearate, beeswax, sucrose.
Additional gel ingredients: ethanol, lavender oil, water.
Excipients in the ointment: macrogol.
Additional components of candles: solid fat.
Side effect
- Like all medications, Ibuprofen can cause allergic reactions: skin itching, urticaria, Quincke's edema, anaphylactic reactions, incl. anaphylactic shock. In this case, you should stop taking the drug and consult a doctor.
- The following side effects may be observed on the part of the digestive system: pancreatitis, nausea, vomiting, erosive and ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, stomach and abdominal pain, stomatitis, liver dysfunction, hepatitis.
- Genitourinary system: polyuria, renal dysfunction, renal failure, edema, cystitis, nephrotic syndrome, interstitial nephritis.
- Nervous system and sensory organs: irritation and dry eyes, ringing in the ears, hallucinations, psychomotor agitation, confusion, headaches, anxiety, irritability.
- Respiratory system: allergic rhinitis, bronchospasm, shortness of breath.
- Cardiovascular system: agranulocytosis, leukopenia, increased pulse, hypertension, heart failure.
Contraindications and adverse reactions
Contraindications for all forms of medications include:
- stomach ulcers;
- problems with liver function;
- bearing a child (3rd trimester);
- internal bleeding;
- progressive kidney disease;
- chronic intestinal diseases;
- hypersensitivity to the constituent components.
It should be taken with caution for the following conditions and problems: liver cirrhosis, gastritis, stomach ulcers, problems with the cardiovascular system, liver and kidneys.
Children under 12 months can be given medicine only as prescribed by a doctor and under his supervision.
When using suppositories and tablets, the following adverse reactions may occur;
- irritation and dryness in the mouth;
- dyspnea;
- blurred vision;
- headache;
- confused thinking;
- disturbed sleep;
- high blood pressure;
- excessive sweating.
Contraindications:
- Hypersensitivity to the components of the drug.
- Bleeding disorders, hemophilia.
- Hematopoietic disorders.
- Erosive and ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract in the acute stage, bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract.
- Kidney or liver failure.
- Severe heart failure.
- The period after coronary artery bypass surgery.
- “Aspirin triad” (aspirin intolerance, nasal polyps and bronchial asthma).
- Diseases of the optic nerve.
- Caution should be exercised when taking other NSAIDs.
- Simultaneous use of medication and alcoholic beverages is not recommended.
special instructions
- Ibuprofen is prescribed in a short course - three days. If therapy lasts 10 days or more, you should consult a doctor.
- Elderly patients need to carefully monitor the tolerability of the drug, as they are more likely to experience side effects.
- May temporarily reduce female reproductive function (the effect disappears after discontinuation).
- It may affect the ability to drive vehicles, so if the patient notices lethargy or drowsiness, he should refrain from driving vehicles and other activities where reaction speed is required.
Ibuprofen for children
Interaction with other drugs
Ibuprofen was created back in 1953 and is therefore well studied. Here we will briefly list its interactions with common drugs - this is mainly a group of cardiovascular drugs, some antibiotics. A complete list of drug interactions should be read in the instructions for the drug.
- Reduces the effect of ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers and some diuretics, such as furosemide.
- The effect may be enhanced when taken with anticoagulants.
- The activity of amlodipine decreases.
- Caution should be used when taking warfarin, methotrexate and lithium together.
- Interactions have been noted with cardiac glycosides, quinolone antibiotics, ethanol, barbiturates, rifampicin, phenylbutazone, cyclosporine, mifepristone, tacrolimus, zidovudine, cefoperazone, cefotetan, valproic acid.
