How much ibuprofen per day

Morgan lays out a few important, commonsense guidelines to keep in mind before heading to the medicine cabinet and diving into that bottle of ibuprofen. Your muscles are sore from a workout, so you take an ibuprofen. Your cramps are bad this week, so you take an ibuprofen.

But is it safe to take so much? An internist discusses the risks and how to take ibuprofen correctly, sparingly and responsibly.

Learn more about vaccine availability. Advertising Policy. You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter. And even then, they found that that milligrams 3 times a day was the max effect. You're talking just every eight hours. If you're someone who you're saying, "Wow, I hurt. I'm going to take milligrams of Ibuprofen every 4 to 6 hours," so you're taking that dose maybe 4 or 5 times a day.

You're not getting a lot of benefit from that additional Ibuprofen. And the big thing you set yourself up for is stomach irritation. It can lead to ulcers. It can lead to bleeding sometimes. Mild symptoms may include:. Infants who overdose may show signs of lethargy unresponsiveness or apnea temporary cessation of breathing following a more serious overdose of ibuprofen. If you or someone you know has taken more than the maximum recommended dose of ibuprofen, contact your local poison center.

You can call this number 24 hours a day. Stay on the line for further instructions. At the hospital, doctors will monitor breathing, heart rate, and other vital signs. A doctor may insert a tube through the mouth to look for internal bleeding. Taking high doses of ibuprofen over long periods of time can also increase your risk of having a stroke or heart attack.

Always read product labels carefully and take the smallest amount of ibuprofen possible that will help relieve your symptoms. A safe dose for children is much less than that. If you or someone you know has taken more than this, call your local poison center or your local emergency services.

If you experience symptoms of an ulcer after taking ibuprofen, stop taking ibuprofen and call your doctor. Taking more than the recommended dosage of ibuprofen or drinking a lot of alcohol significantly raises your risk of serious problems.

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