How Often Can You Take Ibuprofen? Here’s the Answer!

By - Mehrosh Ahmer

Ibuprofen is a handy medicine that is always found stashed in every personal bag be it of a girl or an adult! Why is that so? Well, ibuprofen is one of the most effective and common OTC pain killers available in the market. People often get confused about the dosage of ibuprofen and end up hurting their stomach. 

So, how often can you take ibuprofen? 

Ibuprofen’s daily dosage ranges from 20-40 mg/kg. Experts recommend having a daily dose of ibuprofen in the range of 1200 to 1800mg which can be increased up to a maximum of 3200mgs depending upon your age, weight, and pain. Overusing the drug can be quite harsh on your stomach, so, take care of that! 

In this write-up, we’ll provide you with an in-depth analysis of the dosages of ibuprofen for both children and adults. So, to learn how often can you take ibuprofen, read the full article. 

Uses of Ibuprofen 

Ibuprofen is one of the most common and safest pain-relieving non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine. It is an OTC medicine that works well against a variety of diseases such as arthritis, fever, headaches, sprain, common cold, menstrual pain, and even breakthrough bleeding. 

When your body is in pain, your brain initiates the production of pain-promoting substances called prostaglandins. Ibuprofen works against this pain pathway and prevents the release of such prostaglandins relieving pain. 

If you’re pregnant or the child to have ibuprofen is less than six months old, then you must ask for your doctor’s advice. You must consult your doctor before taking ibuprofen if you’ve ever had: 

How Many Days in a Row Can You Take Ibuprofen?

Those who use ibuprofen claim it to be effective within 30 minutes of consumption. However, the efficacy entirely relies on the dosage, age, health, and interaction with other drugs. Ibuprofen is the most reachable drug for everyone due to its efficiency. 

People often ask, is it bad to take ibuprofen every day? Well, every drug comes up with some side effects and daily use can trigger even worse than that. FDA suggests using the drug as per the directions of the doctor and avoiding using it longer than ten days without recommendation. 

Using the drug without consulting any healthcare professional for longer than the mentioned duration can be risky. If your pain isn’t going away even after using ibuprofen, then consult a doctor because there must be a reason for the ongoing pain. 

How Often Can You Take Ibuprofen 200mg?

The least normal dosage of ibuprofen is 200 mg which can be used 3-6 times in the space of 24 hours. The dosage of a drug is directly related to the age of the patient. 

For children, it is advised not to be given to less than 12 years of age and for those who are between 12 to 18 years old, 3 days in a row are enough to judge its efficacy. If the pain doesn’t go away within three days, then consult your doctor. 

For adults, it is advised to use 1 tablet three times a day; however, in extreme pain, you may have a tablet with an interval of 4 hours which simply means not to exceed the total dosage of more than 1200 mg. 

How Often Can You Take Ibuprofen 400mg?

Ibuprofen 400mg is a high dose of the drug that girls often use during menstrual pains, headaches, and dental pain. In a space of 24 hours, you can take up to 3 tablets, if you are above 12 years of age. Hence, the daily dosage shouldn’t be more than 1200 mg in normal conditions. 

People often ask, is it safe to take 400 mg of ibuprofen every day? Well, you can take ibuprofen daily for up to 10 days and if the pain isn’t going away, you must consult your doctor to find the cause. 

How Often Can You Take Ibuprofen 600mg?

Doctors don’t recommend it for children below 15 years of age. Based on the severity of your pain, your doctor can recommend you 1200-1800 mg of the drug that is taken within 2-3 episodes. Moreover, it’s better to take the drug after the meal because it can sometimes be harsh on your stomach and can even lead to bleeding. Some people believe that 400 mg and 600 mg of ibuprofen have the same effect on the pain. 

How Often Can You Take Ibuprofen 800mg?

Well, the highest dosage of ibuprofen you can have is 3200 mg. It’s the 800 mg dosage you can have four times a day with an interval of six hours. However, such a high dosage can often be harsh on your stomach and cause irritation. Do not exceed more than the prescribed dosage or else you’ll end up damaging your stomach and intestine. 

How Much Ibuprofen Can I Take In One Dose?

The dosage of ibuprofen varies according to your age, weight, health condition, and severity of pain. The least dosage you can have is 200 mg four times a day whereas the highest you can have is 800 mg four times a day making it to 3200 mg per day. You can have 200 mg, 400 mg, 600 mg, and 800 mg of ibuprofen based on your requirement. 

How Much Ibuprofen Is Safe To Take Long-Term? Well, 1200 mg per day is the recommended daily dosage of ibuprofen. All of this isn’t taken at one time, you’ll have to break it into intervals of 4 to 6 hours. You can take the drug for the long term as per your doctor’s recommendation. 

How Often Can You Take Ibuprofen for Fever?

Ibuprofen and Tylenol are the drugs that come to the rescue during fever. Experts recommend Ibuprofen for those who are more than 80 pounds and the dosage can be 400 mg after every 5-6 hours. You can also use Tylenol for effective results during fever.

Combination With Other Pain Killers

When it comes to handling pain using OTC medications, you must’ve heard of ibuprofen, paracetamol, and acetaminophen. You might’ve used all of them separately but have you ever used them in combination? Well, here are the recommended dosages:

How Often Can You Take Ibuprofen and Tylenol Together?

You can safely take the OTC pain relievers ibuprofen, and Tylenol together. You can either take them together with intervals of 4-6 hours or take them separately. However, the recommended daily dosage for ibuprofen is 1200 mg and Tylenol is 3000 mg per day.  

How Often Can You Take Ibuprofen and Paracetamol?

You can use ibuprofen and paracetamol together for suppressing the pain for longer durations. However, be careful about the dosages; 2-3 dosages of ibuprofen can be used within 24 hours whereas 3-4 of paracetamol can be used.  

FAQs

Can you take ibuprofen more than every 4 hours?

When it comes to dosage, the recommended dosage is between 1200 to 1600 mg per day; however, the maximum daily dosage is 3200 mg per day. You can use 200mg ibuprofen after every 4-6 hours depending upon the severity of your pain. Experts recommend taking it at an interval of 4 hours to avoid stomach irritation.  

Can I take ibuprofen every 3 hours?

Typically the doctors suggest having ibuprofen at an interval of four hours. An increase in the dosage can lead to digestive problems because the drug can be quite harsh on your stomach. Soon after you overdose, you’ll start experiencing aggravating digestive problems which can even lead to bleeding in no time. 

Can you take 3 ibuprofen 200mg at once?

The normal recommended daily dosage of ibuprofen is 1200 mg per day which can be taken in intervals. When using 200 mg ibuprofen, three times a day is the normal dosage. Any act that results in an overdose can irritate your stomach. If you overdose, you’ll experience palpitations, sleepiness, unconsciousness, dizziness, and breathing difficulties. 

Can I take two 800 mg ibuprofen at once?

The maximum dose of ibuprofen you can take at once is 800 mg which can be consumed up to 4 times a day taking the total count to 3200 mg per day that is the maximum recommended daily dosage one can have. Hence, any type of overdose can lead to serious consequences including abdominal discomfort, drowsiness, bleeding, nausea, and headaches. 

Final Verdict

Ibuprofen is one of the best OTC drugs that works as a solution to painful aches and can help in relieving the pain by reducing prostaglandin production. It can be used during fever, arthritis, minor colds, toothaches, backaches, and sprains. 

So, How often can you take ibuprofen? Well, the recommendation for ibuprofen intake is 1200 mg per day which is consumed at intervals of 4-6 hours. The dosage is based on your age, weight, health condition, and severity of pain. The drug is commonly available in 200 mg, 400 mg, 600 mg, and 800 mg doses. 

The maximum dosage of ibuprofen one can have is 3200 mg per day which is when you have 800 mg four times a day. Overdosing of the drug can lead to stomach irritation, nausea, drowsiness, and even bleeding.