Ibuprofen Description

Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti inflammatory drug, commonly known as an NSAID. Your doctor may prescribe Ibuprofen to relieve the discomfort associated with menstrual pain, toothache, arthritis, sprains and strains, and other minor injuries. You can buy Ibuprofen at lower strengths as a non-prescription medication which may be more practical and safer for people that require a long-term NSAID for arthritis. The higher milligram Ibuprofen is usually ideal for treating short term pain, fever, and inflammation and your risk of gastric ulceration is reduced because you are only taking it for 7 to 14 days.

How Ibuprofen Reduces Fever and Inflammation

Brand or generic Ibuprofen works by blocking the cyclo-oxygenase enzymes 1 and 2 (COX-1 and COX-2) in order to reduce their production of prostaglandins, a type of hormone that causes inflammation as a necessary part of your body’s immune response to an injury or infection. Ibuprofen also works on the prostaglandins in your brain so it’s able to help reduce your fever. The generic alternative is not manufactured by the same company as the brand product.

Conditions Treated by Ibuprofen

Menstrual cramps do not sound like a reason for missing school or work, but for some women, the pain can be debilitating and can last for several days each month. When there is no known cause for this pain, your doctor may refer to it as primary dysmenorrhea. It’s believed that prostaglandin levels in some women are higher which can trigger the womb to contract too hard when shedding the uterine lining. This could result in a decrease in the blood supply to the womb which can cause the pain.

Running a fever is a good sign that there is something going on in the body. We consider a fever as an unwelcome side effect of infection, but it is believed that a fever may have originally been a primitive immune response due to the fact that bacteria do not thrive at high temperatures. Your hypothalamus, located just above your brain stem, is your body’s temperature regulator. When a fever is triggered by a pyrogen, prostaglandins are released and act on the hypothalamus to generate heat-creating effects.

Before You Take Ibuprofen

Because Ibuprofen can help to inhibit platelet aggregation from forming clots, you should advise a surgeon that you are taking Ibuprofen before undergoing any surgical procedures as you will probably be asked to stop taking it for a period of time to reduce the risk of bleeding.

Ask your doctor about the safety of taking Ibuprofen if you are pregnant, may become pregnant or are breast feeding. Discuss other medical conditions you have and list any OTC or Rx drugs you are taking, including herbal remedies and vitamin supplements so it can be determined if Ibuprofen is the right medication for you.

Ibuprofen Precautions and Recommendations

Your risk of a heart attack or stroke is increased when you take Ibuprofen, especially when taken long-term or in higher doses. To decrease the possibility of an upset stomach from Ibuprofen, take it with milk or food. You should avoid consuming alcohol while on Ibuprofen because it could increase the risk of bleeding in your stomach.

Possible Side Effects of Ibuprofen

• Ringing in your ears
• Heartburn
• Dizziness

Drugs Similar to Ibuprofen

• Anaprox
• Tylenol
• Aleve