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Ibuprofen

Pronunciation: EYE-bue-PROE-fen
Generic name: ibuprofen
Brand names: Advil, Genpril, IBU, Midol IB, Motrin IB, Proprinal, Smart Sense Children's Ibuprofen
Dosage forms: oral capsule (200 mg), oral suspension (100 mg/5 mL; 50 mg/1.25 mL), oral tablet (100 mg; 200 mg; 400 mg; 600 mg; 800 mg), ... show all 4 dosage forms
Drug class: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Medically reviewed by Kaci Durbin, MD. Last updated on Oct 3, 2023.

What is ibuprofen?

Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It works by reducing hormones that cause inflammation and pain in the body.

Ibuprofen is used to reduce fever and treat pain or inflammation caused by many conditions such as headache, toothache, back pain, arthritis, menstrual cramps, or minor injury.

Ibuprofen is used in adults and children who are at least 6 months old.

Warnings

Ibuprofen can increase your risk of fatal heart attack or stroke. Do not use this medicine just before or after heart bypass surgery (coronary artery bypass graft, or CABG).

Ibuprofen may also cause stomach or intestinal bleeding, which can be fatal. These conditions can occur without warning while you are using this medicine, especially in older adults.

Do not take more than your recommended dose. An ibuprofen overdose can damage your stomach or intestines. Use only the smallest amount of medication needed to get relief from your pain, swelling, or fever.

Before taking this medicine

You should not use ibuprofen if you are allergic to it, or if you have ever had an asthma attack or severe allergic reaction after taking aspirin or an NSAID.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist if this medicine is safe to use if you have ever had:

Ask a doctor before using this medicine if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

If you are pregnant, you should not take ibuprofen unless your doctor tells you to. Taking an NSAID during the last 20 weeks of pregnancy can cause serious heart or kidney problems in the unborn baby and possible complications with your pregnancy.

Do not give ibuprofen to a child younger than 6 months old without the advice of a doctor.

Ibuprofen pregnancy and breastfeeding warnings (more detail)

How should I take ibuprofen?

Use ibuprofen exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Use the lowest dose that is effective in treating your condition.

An ibuprofen overdose can damage your stomach or intestines. The maximum amount of ibuprofen for adults is 800 milligrams per dose or 3200 mg per day (4 maximum doses).

A child's dose is based on the age and weight of the child. Carefully follow the dosing instructions provided with children's ibuprofen for the age and weight of your child. Ask a doctor or pharmacist if you have questions.

Take ibuprofen with food or milk to lessen stomach upset.

Shake the oral suspension (liquid) before you measure a dose. Use the dosing syringe provided, or use a medicine dose-measuring device (not a kitchen spoon).

You must chew the chewable tablet before you swallow it.

Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Do not allow the liquid medicine to freeze.

Detailed Ibuprofen dosage information

Ubrelvy, Cimzia, gabapentin, acetaminophen, aspirin, prednisone, ibuprofen, tramadol, duloxetine, meloxicam

What happens if I miss a dose?

Since ibuprofen is used when needed, you may not be on a dosing schedule. Skip any missed dose if it's almost time for your next dose. Do not use two doses at one time.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. Overdose symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, drowsiness, black or bloody stools, coughing up blood, shallow breathing, fainting, or coma.

What to avoid

Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using other medicines for pain, fever, swelling, or cold/flu symptoms. They may contain ingredients similar to ibuprofen (such as aspirin, ketoprofen, or naproxen).

Avoid taking aspirin unless your doctor tells you to.

If you also take aspirin to prevent stroke or heart attack, taking ibuprofen can make aspirin less effective in protecting your heart and blood vessels. If you take both medicines, take ibuprofen at least 8 hours before or 30 minutes after you take aspirin (non-enteric coated form).

Avoid drinking alcohol. It may increase your risk of stomach bleeding.

Ibuprofen side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to ibuprofen (hives, difficult breathing, swelling in your face or throat) or a severe skin reaction (fever, sore throat, burning eyes, skin pain, red or purple skin rash with blistering and peeling).

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of a heart attack or stroke: chest pain spreading to your jaw or shoulder, sudden numbness or weakness on one side of the body, slurred speech, leg swelling, feeling short of breath.

Stop using this medicine and call your doctor at once if you have:

Common ibuprofen side effects may include:

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Ibuprofen side effects (more detail)

What other drugs will affect ibuprofen?

Ask your doctor before using ibuprofen if you take an antidepressant. Taking certain antidepressants with an NSAID may cause you to bruise or bleed easily.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using ibuprofen with any other medications, especially:

This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with ibuprofen, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here.

Ibuprofen drug interactions (more detail)

Does ibuprofen interact with my other drugs?

Enter medications to view a detailed interaction report using our Drug Interaction Checker.

Popular FAQ

Can I take ibuprofen with Ajovy?

There are no known drug interactions between Ajovy (fremanezumab) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), but you should talk to your doctor before you combine these medications. Serious side effects can occur with ibuprofen, such as stomach or intestinal bleeding, rash, swelling, problems with your kidneys, or an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Ajovy is used to help prevent migraine episodes in adults. Ibuprofen is an over-the-counter analgesic used as an acute treatment to help stop migraine pain already in progress. If Ajovy is not adequately helping your migraine, your doctor may want to switch you to a different migraine prevention medicine or drug class.

Can you take ibuprofen with Mavyret?

While there’s no known interaction between ibuprofen and Mavyret, ibuprofen may not be suitable if you have hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. If you are taking Mavyret, check with your doctor before taking ibuprofen.

HCV slowly damages the liver and ibuprofen can also adversely affect the liver, causing liver enzymes to become elevated and in rare cases severe liver reactions and liver failure. In some cases the combination of ibuprofen and chronic hepatitis C has been reported to lead to drug-induced liver injury or damage (hepatotoxicity). Continue reading

Naproxen vs ibuprofen: What's the difference?

Ibuprofen is short acting, while naproxen is long acting and more likely to cause an upset stomach. Naproxen also increases the risk of uncontrolled bleeding in people taking blood thinners by 4-fold, and ibuprofen increases the risk 2-fold. Naproxen and ibuprofen are both NSAIDs so they are similar in many ways, but there are important differences. Continue reading

Can you take ibuprofen on an empty stomach?

Despite popular belief that you have to take ibuprofen with food, you can take ibuprofen on an empty stomach and this will give you faster pain relief than taking it with food. Food increases the time it takes for ibuprofen to be absorbed, although it won't affect how much is absorbed. There is actually no evidence that taking ibuprofen with food prevents gastric irritation – ibuprofen at OTC doses has a low incidence of gastric irritation anyway. Continue reading

What's the difference between aspirin and ibuprofen?

Even though aspirin and Ibuprofen are both NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and work similarly, there are several differences between the two drugs and they are not considered interchangeable. Continue reading

Can you take expired ibuprofen?

Although taking expired ibuprofen is not recommended by the manufacturer, the actual shelf-life is likely to be longer than that indicated by the expiry date, with FDA testing showing many drugs are active for years beyond their expiry date, although specific data on ibuprofen is not available. Within reason, an ibuprofen tablet that is a few months past its expiry date is probably safe to take. Ibuprofen that is years past its expiry date should not be taken. Continue reading

Can you overdose on ibuprofen?

Despite ibuprofen having a wide safety margin, it is possible to overdose on it, but death from ibuprofen overdose is rare. Children are more susceptible to the effects of ibuprofen and likely to experience an overdosage of ibuprofen if dosages of more than 400mg/kg (in the range of 8000mg for a 20kg child [the equivalent of 40 x 200mg ibuprofen tablets]) are ingested. Studies have reported patients ingesting less than 99 mg/kg are unlikely to have symptoms. Continue reading

More FAQ

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Further information

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use ibuprofen only for the indication prescribed.

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

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