Ibuprofen is a drug of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory group (NSAID).
It can be prescribed for patients who suffer of pain, fever and inflammation. The main indications for the Ibuprofen that can be used as monotherapy or as auxiliary medicine are fever, headache, migraine, toothache, neuralgia, myalgia, arthritis (rheumatoid, juvenile, infectious, traumatic, podagric, psoriatic), osteoarthrosis, ankylosing spondylitis, radiculitis, bursitis, tendovaginitis, traumas, gout, respiratory diseases, adnexitis, dysmenorrhea, patent ductus arteriosus in newborn, proctitis.
Also Ibuprofen has antiplatelet effect.
Side effects
According to the data of multiple studies Ibuprofen cause side effects in up to 25% cases of its use.
The most common adverse reactions that can develop in people who use Ibuprofen are:
- Nausea
- Decreased appetite
- Heartburn
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Stomach cramps
- Indigestion
- Dyspepsia
- Bloating
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Jaundice
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Nervousness
- Tiredness
- Muscle weakness
- Muscle pain
- Cramps
- One-sided weakness
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Hearing loss
- Tingling
- Blurred vision
- Color vision changes
- Vision decreasing
- Numbness of an arm or leg
- Unexplained weight gain
- Swelling of hands or legs
- Painful urination
- Difficulty urinating
- Unexplained rash (maculopapular and sometimes with flu-like symptoms)
- Vesiculobullous eruptions
- Erythema multiforme
- Vasculitis
- Xanthomatosis
- Pruritus
- Alopecia
- Neck stiffness
- Fever
- Sore throat
Also Ibuprofen can cause other side effects:
- Confusion
- Fainting
- Mood changes
- Dry eyes
- Dry mouth
- Bronchospasm
- Enteropathies of the small bowel
- Ibuprofen-associated colitis
- Joint pain
- Photosensitivity
- Vesiculobullous eruptions
- Easy to bruise
- Erectile dysfunction
- Priapism
As any other medicine Ibuprofen can cause allergic reactions such as rash (erythematous or urticarial), hives, itching, photoallergic skin reactions, swelling of the eyes, mouth, face, lips, tongue or throat, severe dizziness, trouble breathing, tightness in the chest, angioedema, angioneurotic edema, bronchospasm, anaphylaxis, anaphylactic shock and anaphylactoid reactions.
Also Ibuprofen intake can lead to development of the systemic reactions, including interstitial nephritis, serum sickness, diffuse pulmonary infiltrates, acute noncardiogenic pulmonary edema and Stevens-Johnson syndrome (toxic epidermal necrolysis)
All these reactions are serious and require urgent medical attention and help.
Rare side effects
Rarely but Ibuprofen can cause urticaria, acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis, bullous pemphigoid, conjuctivitis, corneal verticillata, diplopia, scotomata, optic neuritis, cataracts, paresthesias, inhibition of prostaglandin-dependent afferent arteriolar vasodilation, pseudotumor cerebri, syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH), gastritis, hepatitis, vanishing bile duct syndrome, lupuserythematosus syndrome, Henoch-Schonlein vasculitis, hemolytic uremic syndrome, gingival ulcer, epistaxis, cystitis, menorrhagia, hypoglycemic episodes, gynecomastia.
Laboratory test’s changes
In patients who are treated with Ibuprofen can be revealed some changes in laboratory tests results that should be traced by doctors because can be quite serious but reversible with Ibuprofen discontinuation. Among these changes in blood tests are aplastic anemia, hemolytic anemia (sometimes Coombs positive), low hemoglobin level and reduced hematocrit, neutropenia, agranulocytosis, eosinophilia, thrombocytopenia, platelet dysfunction, elevations of liver function tests (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, bilirubin), hypoglycemia, decreased creatinine clearance, hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, azotemia, acidosis. In urine can be found such abnormalities as blood and urine’s reduced or increased quantity, also urine can be cloudy and dark colored due to increase of the bilirubin leveling it. Stool can become black (melena) or pale or have bloody admixtures.
Serious side effects
Also Ibuprofen can cause some serious side effects that require immediate medical help. They include:
- Gastric or duodenal ulcers that can be accompanied by bleeding and/or perforation
- Vomiting blood
- Gastrointestinal hemorrhage (sometimes occult)
- Colonic and pyloric channel strictures
- Hepatic failure (sometimes fatal)
- Pancreatitis
- Psychotic exacerbation
- Dementia and pseudodementia
- Severe headaches
- Seizure
- Swelling of the fingers and toes which progressed to desquamation and digital pitting infarctions
- Sinusitis
- Asthma and it’s worsening due to bronchospasm
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Hypertension (and it’s worsening due to antagonism with blood lowering effect of the hypotensive drugs)
- Arrhythmias (fast, slow or irregular heartbeat)
- Congestive heart failure with fluid retention
- Heart attacks
- Prolonged bleeding time
- Cystitis
- Renal failure with nephrotic syndrome (due to tubulointerstitial nephritis, reduced blood flow to the kidneys, papillary necrosis, and acute tubular necrosis)
Side effects in pregnant women
Ibuprofen shouldn’t be used in late terms of pregnancy because of high risk of such side effects as miscarry, premature closure of the fetal’s ductus arteriosus, prolonged labor, and bleeding that difficult to stop in mother or newborn baby.
Side effects in children
In case of Ibuprofen use in children they can experience same adverse reactions as adults and additionally pain around belly button, Ibuprofen-induced asthma attacks, acute vanishing bile duct syndrome, Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Also Ibuprofen intake should be avoided in children with kidneys diseases because of it’s possible additional damage.
Conclusions
You may never experience any of listed above side effects. And your doctor cannot predict reaction of your body to Ibuprofen until you will try it. That’s why don’t forget to let your physician know if something in your health condition alert you. So when it seems that anything going wrong, ask your doctor for advice and he or she will diagnose if your problem is connected with medicine intake. And be careful because some of Ibuprofen’s side effects require urgent medical help.