This page tells you about the painkilling drug Brufen and its possible side effects.
The active ingredient in Brufen is ibuprofen, part of a class of medications known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). It has many brand names including Ibuprofen, Advil and Nurofen but it is also a part of many other painkiller combination medicines. You'll need to check the packet to see how much ibuprofen each tablet or capsule contains. Generally they are either 200mg or 400mg, but there are also 600mg tablets available.
NSAIDs are especially good at relieving bone and muscle pain. You may have them with stronger painkillers to give you the best pain relief. Brufen controls pain by blocking messages to the brain that tell us we have pain. It also reduces swelling (inflammation) that presses on nerves. It also can bring a temperature down.
Your doctor or nurse will give you instructions on when to take ibuprofen and how much to have. The dose will depend on the amount you need to control your pain. The normal dose for adults is 400mg every 4 to 6 hours. This means that you can take up to 1,600 to 2,400 mg a day, divided into 3 or 4 doses. You shouldn't take any more than 2,400 mg in 24 hours.
Do not use Brufen just before or after heart bypass surgery (coronary artery bypass graft, or CABG).
Brufen may cause life-threatening heart or circulation problems such as heart attack or stroke, especially if you use it long term.
This medicine may also cause serious effects on the stomach or intestines, including bleeding or perforation (forming of a hole). These conditions can be fatal and can occur without warning while you are taking Brufen, especially in older adults.
You should not use Brufen if you are allergic to ibuprofen, aspirin or other NSAIDs.
Ask a doctor or pharmacist if it is safe for you to take this medication if you have:
a history of heart attack, stroke, or blood clot;
heart disease, congestive heart failure, high blood pressure;
a history of stomach ulcers or bleeding;
asthma;
polyps in your nose;
liver or kidney disease;
systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE);
a bleeding or blood clotting disorder; or
if you smoke.
FDA pregnancy category D. Taking Brufen during the last 3 months of pregnancy may harm the unborn baby. You must not use Brufen if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether ibuprofen passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. Do not give Brufen to a child without the advice of a doctor.
Brufen is a tablet that you take with milk or food. It is important not to take it on an empty stomach, as it can irritate the stomach lining and may cause bleeding. Your doctor can prescribe ibuprofen or you can buy it over the counter.
If you have a history of asthma, heart, kidney or liver problems check with your doctor before you take it.
Ibuprofen can provide some relief for suffers of rheumatoid arthritis. Use of the drug can reduce some of the pain and swelling but it will not alter the course of the disease.
Ibuprofen has been found to slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Ibuprofen is thought to be able to reduce the amounts of beta-amyloid (a protein fragment whose accumulation is linked to the disease) that build–up in the brain. Whilst this information supports previous data which indicates that ibuprofen and other NSAIDs can slow down or prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease, scientists say it may also introduce a new way of thinking about how ibuprofen protects the brain. About 20 studies carried out on people have shown that those who took NSAIDs for various reasons had a much lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than those people who did not take NSAIDs. Evidence has shown that inflammation in the brain, prompted by amyloid deposits, activates immune cells and elicits harmful substances that destroy nerve cells. Ibuprofen is thought to interrupt this pathway of events.
Ibuprofen is much more effective than aspirin. To achieve the same anti-inflammatory effect 4000mg of aspirin needs to be administered whilst only 2400mg must be used in the case of ibuprofen. This again shows that ibuprofen is more useful than other drugs, as because it is present at lower concentrations in the body the chance of unwanted side effects are much less.
Ibuprofen is not addictive and so will not cause problems with people becoming dependent on it, this can occur with other painkillers. It also means that people will not build up a tolerance to the drug: meaning that they will not need larger and larger quantities of the drug to induce the same pain releasing effects.
Many people have one or more of the following side effects when taking ibuprofen. Side effects from ibuprofen are often mild.
Heartburn or indigestion – you can prevent this by drinking milk or eating a snack with each dose of ibuprofen
Feeling or being sick usually wears off after a few days, but tell your doctor if it continues
Some people have the following side effects
Stomach ache – tell your doctor if you have this
Blood in your stools – stop taking ibuprofen and tell your doctor or nurse as soon as possible
Loss of appetite
Diarrhoea
A few people have the following side effects
Stomach ulcer – if you have black and tarry stools or vomit blood, stop taking ibuprofen and tell your doctor immediately
Swelling of your ankles and legs due to fluid build up
Headaches
Mood changes including anxiety, depression and mood swings
Drowsiness
Dizziness
An allergic reaction – causing a skin rash, swelling of the tongue and lips and difficulty in breathing
Kidney changes that are unlikely to cause symptoms – the kidneys usually go back to normal when you stop taking ibuprofen, but your doctor or nurse can check how well your kidneys are working with regular blood tests
A skin rash
Hearing problems, including ringing in your ears
Raised blood pressure
Blurred vision
The side effects above may be mild or more severe. A side effect may get better or worse through your course of treatment, or more side effects may develop as the course goes on. This depends on
How many times you've had the drug before
Your general health
The amount of the drug you have (the dose)
Other drugs you are having
Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse about all your side effects so that they can help you manage them. You should have a contact number for your specialist nurse, clinic or ward nurse. You can ring them if you have any questions or problems. They can give you advice or reassure you. If in doubt, call.
Tell your doctor about any other medicines you are taking, including vitamins, herbal supplements and other over the counter remedies – some drugs can react together.