If you are no stranger to headaches, neck pain, or arthritis pain, you’ve probably turned to ibuprofen more often than you care to admit. Nowadays, experts are warning you to reconsider that decision.
Doctors say taking ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs comes with some risks. According to the FDA, “non-aspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can cause heart attacks or strokes.” According to the article released by the FDA, even short-term use of ibuprofen can increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
According to the FDA, “this risk increases the longer one continues to use ibuprofen. You do not need to have an existing heart condition to be at risk, although such a condition does increase your chances. These risks make ibuprofen especially dangerous to individuals over 40–the age at which one’s risk of heart disease begins to skyrocket.”
This new information comes from a study of over 7 million patients published in the British Medical Journal. The study revealed that users who used any type of NSAID in the 14 days preceding the study were 19 % more likely to be admitted to a hospital for heart failure. The results also state that the effect of heart failure is dependent on the dosage.
According to the study, NSAIDs like ibuprofen can increase the risk of heart failure by almost 20%, and this risk also varies widely between the NSAID used as well as the dosage used.
Although the study confirmed the risk of heart failure with the use of NSAIDs, it also says that there remains “limited information on the risk of heart failure associated with the use of individual NSAIDs in clinical practice, and especially on their dose-response associations.”
The research found that a total of 92,163 out of the 7.6 million people who had been prescribed an NSAID had been admitted to the hospital due to heart failure. Those who had been admitted to the hospital were generally older, with an average age of 77.
Ibuprofen is one of the most commonly taken medications for pain relief. However, many people are unaware of the potential risks of regular ibuprofen consumption. Taking ibuprofen by mouth (in the form of tablets, capsules, granules, or liquid) can lead to the following health issues in more than 1 in 100 people:
Luckily, there are some steps you can take to deal with these symptoms. If a side effect of ibuprofen doesn’t go away after a day or two, consult your doctor or pharmacist for advice on what to do next.
When it comes to topical forms of ibuprofen, you are less likely to experience side effects than orally administrated forms of the medication because less of the substance gets into your body. However, topical usage of ibuprofen still comes with certain risks, especially when you apply a lot of it to a large area of your skin. For example, topical administration of ibuprofen might make your skin more sensitive to sunlight than usual.
The following symptoms indicate that you need to stop taking ibuprofen and immediately call the emergency services:
Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used for pain relief and reducing inflammation. According to the label’s instructions, you can take over-the-counter ibuprofen tablets every four to six hours. Depending on the dosage, you can take a limited amount of this medication per day. You can regularly take ibuprofen for several days, but you should not keep using it daily for a longer period of time without a special prescription from your doctor.
Continuous daily administration of ibuprofen can cause irritation of your stomach lining, leading to gastrointestinal issues ranging from nausea and constipation to ulcers. Some medical reports even suggest that excessive usage of ibuprofen can put you at higher risk of experiencing cardiovascular problems.
So, while ibuprofen is safe for occasional use, you need your doctor’s supervision to keep consuming this medication on a daily basis.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAID) are the go-to solution for pain and inflammation (redness and swelling) associated with various health issues, such as arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions. These medications are also beneficial for non-inflammatory issues, including period cramps, migraines, fever, and postoperative pain.
Although NSAIDs help relieve pain and inflammation, they can also have some unpleasant side effects. For example, many users have reported experiencing nausea, stomach aches, indigestion, and sometimes even ulcers or gastrointestinal bleeding.
Other side effects of anti-inflammatory medications may include:
In order to avoid serious side effects, experts recommend using anti-inflammatory medications occasionally and at the lowest possible dose rather than daily. Before taking any of these medications, discuss the potential risks with your doctor or pharmacist.
