[Rapunzel]

Just curious. How harmful would it be, mostly long term, to take like 3 or 4 ibuprofens at a time once in a while? What if it ends up increasing to like 6 or so? The poison control center wasn't very helpful on that question. I already know that's not a lethal dose.

Rap

I think that if used for a long period of time it can begin to have affects on your kidneys.. thats what my doctor says can happen with use of most meds.

When I am not pregnant and get bad headaches, my doctor actually told me to take a 1200 mg dose immediately of ibuprofen.

That is the max daily dose for the stuff. Some docs will allow an even higher dose for the short term.

The problem with NSAID's is the possibility of stomach damage and ulcers/stomach bleeding. And yes, if you take it every day in high amounts it can cause liver or kidney problems, but that is more of a long term thing.

What pain are you using it to manage? You may be better off getting a prescription NSAID from your doctor if the ibuprofen is needed more than a couple of times a week.

And of course, as they always advise, take it with food to lessen the harshness on your stomach and drink plenty of water to cusion it and help it break up.

[Perna]

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Do not take more of this medication than is recommended. An overdose of ibuprofen can cause damage to your stomach or intestines. The maximum amount of ibuprofen for adults is 800 milligrams per dose or 3200 mg per day (4 maximum doses).

If you take this medication for a long period of time, your doctor may want to check you on a regular basis to make sure this medication is not causing harmful effects. Do not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.

If you take certain products together you may accidentally take too much of this type of medication. Read the label of any other medicine you are using to see if it contains aspirin, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, or naproxen. Do not drink alcohol while taking this medication. Alcohol can increase the risk of stomach bleeding caused by this medication. Avoid exposure to sunlight or artificial UV rays (sunlamps or tanning beds). this medication can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight and sunburn may result. Use a sunscreen (minimum SPF 15) and wear protective clothing if you must be out in the sun.

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http://www.drugs.com/ibuprofen.html

[Rapunzel]

Mostly just stress headaches, and being borderline and wanting to be destructive, and generally feeling miserable (emotionally). I don't actually have the kind of pain that would justify really high dosages of pain killers. But I'm borderline enough not to care sometimes.

[Perna]

Ah, well that would be possible side effects of such usage:

unsteadiness, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, gastrointestinal, nausea plus vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, probable loss of blood in intestinal areas or stomach or both, headache, agitation, drowsiness, incoherence and confusion etc. Sometimes more serious symptoms are also noticed in some though very rare such as seizure, gastrointestinal bleeding, metabolic acidosis, respiratory depression, hyperkalaemia, tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, coma, hepatic dysfunction, renal failure, cyanosis, and cardiac arrest etc.

[SweetCrusader]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Perna said:
Ah, well that would be possible side effects of such usage:

unsteadiness, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, gastrointestinal, nausea plus vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, probable loss of blood in intestinal areas or stomach or both, headache, agitation, drowsiness, incoherence and confusion etc. Sometimes more serious symptoms are also noticed in some though very rare such as seizure, gastrointestinal bleeding, metabolic acidosis, respiratory depression, hyperkalaemia, tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, coma, hepatic dysfunction, renal failure, cyanosis, and cardiac arrest etc.


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Add to that list sabatoging your own healing...

(((((((((((Wendy)))))))))))))

I hope you find a healthier way of coping with your pain.