\nWhat ibuprofen actually does <\/p>\n
Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or NSAID.<\/a> It works by blocking chemicals in the body that trigger pain and inflammation, which is why it’s useful for such a wide range of conditions: headaches, muscle aches, menstrual cramps, fever, arthritis, and general soreness. “It’s a very common medication used for many of those things and more,” Dr. Jennifer Caudle<\/a>, family physician and associate professor at Rowan University, said.<\/p>\n
It’s effective, widely available, and for many people, perfectly safe when used correctly. The key phrase is when used correctly \u2014 and for the right person.<\/p>\n
“A lot of people really do not know of some of the risks of ibuprofen,” Caudle said. Potential risks include:<\/p>\n Cardiovascular effects: The Food and Drug Administration strengthened warnings in 2015 about the increased risk of heart attack and stroke associated with ibuprofen and related NSAIDs. That risk can increase with higher doses and longer use. Wikipedia<\/a>Blood pressure: Ibuprofen can raise or worsen blood pressure, which puts additional strain on the heart.Stomach and GI problems: Ibuprofen can cause upset stomach, acid reflux, ulcers, and gastrointestinal inflammation \u2014 even bleeding in some cases.Kidney damage: Updated clinical guidelines emphasize that patients with chronic kidney disease are particularly susceptible to the kidney-damaging effects of NSAIDs, including ibuprofen. NCBI<\/a>Increased bleeding risk: Ibuprofen can interfere with the body’s normal clotting process, which becomes especially significant for people on blood thinners. <\/p>\n None of this means ibuprofen is dangerous for everyone. “I don’t want people to hear this all and be afraid to take ibuprofen. Remember that every medication, vitamin, supplement, and botanical has potential risks and benefits,” she said.<\/p>\n
“There are going to be a number of people who their doctor may say, hey, we don’t want you to take ibuprofen. Maybe if you’re on certain blood thinners. Perhaps if you have kidney disease or kidney damage. Perhaps if you have other stomach or gastrointestinal or heart underlying conditions. Remember this is going to be different for everyone,” Caudle said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Elderly patients face a greater risk than younger patients for serious cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and kidney-related side effects from NSAIDs.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ibuprofen can also interfere with the cardioprotective effect of low-dose aspirin \u2014 an important consideration for anyone taking aspirin to protect their heart.<\/p>\n
For many people, side effects from ibuprofen improve or resolve once they stop taking the medication. But that outcome depends on the individual, the specific side effect, and any underlying medical conditions, which is exactly why a conversation with your doctor matters.<\/p>\n “What’s important is to ask your doctor if ibuprofen is right for you, in what circumstances and situations, and then what doses and frequency,” Caudle said. Before taking ibuprofen regularly \u2014 or even occasionally, if you have any of the conditions listed above \u2014 talk to your physician about whether it’s appropriate for you.<\/p>\n Every medication carries a balance of risks and benefits. The goal isn’t to avoid ibuprofen outright \u2014 it’s to use it wisely.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Many reach for it out of habit, but experts want you to know the potential risks involved. CLEVELAND…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":701391,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[64,63,137,490],"class_list":["post-701390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-medication","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-health","tag-medication"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701390","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=701390"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701390\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/701391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=701390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=701390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=701390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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<\/p>\n
\nThe risks most people don’t know about <\/p>\n
\nWho should be especially cautious <\/p>\n
\nThe good news: some side effects are reversible <\/p>\n