Ibuprofen
A short-acting propionic acid NSAID used for pain, fever, period pain, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Drug card
- Class
- NSAID
- How it works
- Blocking COX-1 and COX-2, so less prostaglandin is made
- Used for
- Mild to moderate pain
- Fever
- Period pain (primary dysmenorrhea)
- Osteoarthritis
- Known for
- Stomach and duodenal ulcers
- Bleeding from the stomach or gut
- Its name
- -profen means a propionic acid NSAID (ibuprofen type)
Study it as a flashcard, and it comes back before you forget it.
Mechanism of action
How does ibuprofen work?
Ibuprofen, a propionic acid derivative, blocks both COX-1 and COX-2, so less prostaglandin and thromboxane A2 is made. It is cleared quickly, with a half-life of about 2 hours. Taken before low-dose aspirin, it can blunt aspirin's antiplatelet effect.
Like other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: NSAIDs block the cyclooxygenase enzymes COX-1 and COX-2, which turn arachidonic acid into prostaglandins and thromboxane. With less prostaglandin, nerve endings are less sensitized, inflammation settles and fever falls. Losing COX-1 products in the stomach and platelets, and the prostaglandins that keep blood flowing through the kidney, explains their ulcers, bleeding and kidney harm.
Uses
What is ibuprofen used for?
- Mild to moderate pain
- Fever
- Period pain (primary dysmenorrhea)
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
Side effects
Side effects of ibuprofen
- Stomach and duodenal ulcersKnown forSerious
- Bleeding from the stomach or gutKnown forSerious
- Indigestion and heartburn
- Nausea and vomiting
- Dizziness
- Rash
- Acute kidney injurySerious
- Heart attack and strokeSerious
- Raised blood pressure
- Asthma attacks in aspirin-sensitive peopleSerious
- Allergic reactions, including anaphylaxisSerious
- Severe skin reactions (SJS, TEN)Serious
Known for marks what an exam expects you to know it for.
Watch for
Cautions and what sets it apart
- Taken before low-dose aspirin, it can blunt aspirin's antiplatelet effect.
- Avoid with a past ulcer or GI bleeding; anticoagulants, steroids and other NSAIDs raise the bleeding risk.
- It can weaken ACE inhibitors, ARBs and diuretics, and with them it adds to the risk of kidney injury.
Good to know: Short-acting, with a half-life of about 2 hours; sold without a prescription for pain and fever, and also made as a gel for joint and muscle pain.
Remember it
A way to remember it
NSAID
- N
- Nephrotoxicity: acute kidney injury
- S
- Stomach ulcers and bleeding
- A
- Asthma attacks in aspirin-sensitive people
- I
- Increased risk of heart attack and stroke
- D
- Ductus arteriosus closing early in late pregnancy
Written for biofideX
Its name
-profen means propionic acid NSAID (ibuprofen type)
Ibuprofen, ketoprofen and flurbiprofen share it. Naproxen is a propionic acid NSAID too but lacks the stem, and diclofenac belongs to the -ac group.
- Every drug name stem
Its class
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with a card:
Easily mixed up with selective COX-2 inhibitors, paracetamol and glucocorticoids.
Sources
Checked against
Written for biofideX in plain words, after checking these references:
For learning pharmacology, not for treatment decisions: no doses are given, and a prescriber, pharmacist or the product's own label is the word on any one patient. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we'll correct it.
Pain, fever and inflammation
Ibuprofen is one of 15 drugs practiced together here: their classes, how they work, what they treat and what they're known for.
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