Ibuprofen overdose?

Question

I made a mistake taking Ibuprofen this evening, I have at other times taken four 200mg tabs at a time for my shoulder problem with a Doctors recommendation. I was at someones house and took four pills there without checking the bottle, assuming they would be 200mg, but they were 400mg each, so i took 1600mg at one time. I took them because i have a very bad cold and sore throat. Just wondering if i need to be worried about taking 1600mg at one time. Feleling foolish for not checking the label, I know better than that usually.

Answer 1

Ibuprofen appears to have the lowest incidence of gastrointestinal adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of all the non-selective NSAIDs. However, this only holds true at lower doses of ibuprofen, so over-the-counter preparations of ibuprofen are generally labelled to advise a maximum daily dose of 1,200 mg.

In low single doses (200 to 400 mg) and daily doses of up to 1,200 mg the incidence of side effects is low. However, in patients treated on a long-term basis with more than 1,200 mg daily discontinuation rates are as high as 10 to 15%.

Common adverse effects include: nausea, dyspepsia, gastrointestinal ulceration/bleeding, raised liver enzymes, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, salt and fluid retention, hypertension.

Infrequent adverse effects include: oesophageal ulceration, heart failure, hyperkalaemia, renal impairment, confusion, bronchospasm, rash.

ibuprofen has been reported to be a photosensitising agent.However, this only rarely occurs with ibuprofen and it is considered to be a very weak photosensitising agent when compared with other members of the 2-arylpropionic acids. This is because the ibuprofen molecule contains only a single phenyl moiety and no bond conjugation, resulting in a very weak chromophore system and a very weak absorption spectrum which does not reach into the solar spectrum.

ibuprofen has been implicated in elevating the risk of myocardial infarction, particularly among those chronically using high doses.

Ibuprofen overdose has become common since it was licensed for over-the-counter use. There are many overdose experiences reported in the medical literature. Human response in cases of overdose ranges from absence of symptoms to fatal outcome in spite of intensive care treatment. Most symptoms are an excess of the pharmacological action of ibuprofen and include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, dizziness, headache, tinnitus, and nystagmus. Rarely more severe symptoms such as gastrointestinal bleeding, seizures, metabolic acidosis, hyperkalaemia, hypotension, bradycardia, tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, coma, hepatic dysfunction, acute renal failure, cyanosis, respiratory depression, and cardiac arrest have been reported.. The severity of symptoms varies with the ingested dose and the time elapsed, however, individual sensitivity also plays an important role. Generally, the symptoms observed with an overdose of ibuprofen are similar to the symptoms caused by overdoses of other NSAIDs.

There is little correlation between severity of symptoms and measured ibuprofen plasma levels. Toxic effects are unlikely at doses below 100 mg/kg but can be severe above 400 mg/kg; however, large doses do not indicate that the clinical course is likely to be lethal. It is not possible to determine a precise lethal dose, as this may vary with age, weight, and concomitant diseases of the individual patient.

Therapy is largely symptomatic. In cases presenting early, gastric decontamination is recommended. This is achieved using activated charcoal; charcoal absorbs the drug before it can enter the systemic circulation. Gastric lavage is now rarely used, but can be considered if the amount ingested is potentially life threatening and it can be performed within 60 minutes of ingestion. Emesis is not recommended. The majority of ibuprofen ingestions produce only mild effects and the management of overdose is straightforward. Standard measures to maintain normal urine output should be instituted and renal function monitored. Since ibuprofen has acidic properties and is also excreted in the urine, forced alkaline diuresis is theoretically beneficial. However, due to the fact ibuprofen is highly protein bound in the blood, there is minimal renal excretion of unchanged drug. Forced alkaline diuresis is therefore of limited benefit. Symptomatic therapy for hypotension, GI bleeding, acidosis, and renal toxicity may be indicated. Occasionally, close monitoring in an intensive care unit for several days is necessary. If a patient survives the acute intoxication, he/she will usually experience no late sequelae.

hope this helps..

Answer 2

You can get perscription ibuprofen in 800mg tablets. You should not take 2 at once. They will give you a tummy ache and cause bleeding to increase. Since I am answering after 13 hours, you should be over the worst effects. You can take 800 mg of ibuprofen every 4and Tylenol or nonlabel brand at opposite 4's such as I at 12 and 4 and T at 2 and 6 for severe pain, fever or other symptoms

Answer 3

Shouldn't be a problem. Just perhaps tougher on the tummy. Renal blood flow, platelet aggregation and other effects will likely not be noticeable.
When you're taking ibuprofen for a chronic problem on a routine basis, it's useful to take 800 mg 3 times a day as your doctor suggested, but you should also be aware that when you're taking it for immediate pain relief, 800 mg offers no more relief than 400 mg. It's a peculiarity of the NSAID drugs.

Answer 4

Drink a lot of extra water for a couple days. Contact a 24 hour pharmacy for guidance. Ibuprofen can cause kidney problems if taken excessively, or if taken in large doses for a long time.

Answer 5

You'll probably be OK; but to be on the safe side call your local poison hotline to verify.

Of course NEVER take Ibuprofin on an empty stomach. It. might be a good idea to eat some bread or some other non-acidic food to protect your stomach.

Answer 6

don't worry about it at all

A ton of my friends overdose on Oxy Cotton, Codeine, and Vickiden

Really dangerous dumb stuff which is all higher doses of ibuprofen but they all end up ok...
( For now lets see how they turn out when they are older)

Yeah you will be ok you may feel a bit loopy though.

Answer 7

Call your local 24 hour pharmacy. They'll be able to tell you.