What are ibuprofen 600 and 400 used for?

It is common to find a box of ibuprofen in medicine cabinets all over the world. However, some people still wonder whether it is better to take ibuprofen 600 or ibuprofen 400 milligrams. Here, we explain it clearly.

What is ibuprofen and what is it used for?

Ibuprofen is a medicine classed as an NSAID, that is, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug withpain-relieving, fever-reducing and, of course, anti-inflammatory effects. It is usually recommended to treat inflammation, as well as mild to moderate pain and fever.

What is ibuprofen 600 used for?

Ibuprofen 600 mg is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to treat more intense pain or to reduce inflammation, such as in cases of osteoarthritis or arthritis. However, it does require a prescription.

Differences between ibuprofen 400 and 600

The main differences between ibuprofen 400 mg and 600 mg are:

• Effectiveness for pain: the 600 mg dose does not add any significant benefits for treating mild to moderate pain, so using the 400 mg format for this type of discomfort is more than enough.
• Side effects: however, using 600 mg ibuprofen increases the likelihood of side effects compared with the 400 mg dose.
• Medical prescription: 400 mg ibuprofen does not require a prescription, whereas 600 mg can only be obtained with one.
• Common use: In most European countries, 400 mg ibuprofen is used mainly (54.64%), whereas in Spain 600 mg is more common (only 4.89% use the 400 mg version)1.

Is it better to take ibuprofen 400 or 600?

Many people wonder whether it is better to take400 mg ibuprofen or a higher-strength dose. For this reason, Reckitt Benckiser presented a study at Infarma 2013 stating that it was effective for treating moderate or mild pain. Likewise, at the same forum it explained that using600 mg ibuprofen does not add any advantage when dealing with this type of condition. On the other hand, the chance of experiencing a side effect is greater.

For all these reasons, our recommendation for mild or moderate pain is to use the 400 mg dose, and reserve the 600 mg dose for treating more serious conditions, as it requires medical supervision.

How much ibuprofen can we take safely?

We can take the above information as a reference, but we should also know that in most of Europe,ibuprofen 400 is the version sold. In Spain, its use is around 4.9%, while in the rest of Europe it is over 54.5%.

The above figures suggest that in Spain we mainly useibuprofen 600.Why? This may be because Spaniards tend to overdo things and always go for the higher strength.

Likewise, this strength has often been prescribed in health centres, perhaps because, paradoxical though it may seem, it is cheaper.

Even so, this situation has been changing for quite some time. If we focus on theside effectsof high doses, research indicates that it may increase cardiovascular risk.

To be considered a high dose, intake must exceed 2400 mg per day. In Spain, we usually take 3 doses of 600 mg ibuprofen a day (1800 mg daily) when we have a complaint.

Therefore, despite taking 600 milligrams of ibuprofen in each dose, we do not exceed the limit set by the European Medicines Agency. This means there is no risk in taking 3 daily doses ofibuprofen 600.

Can little ones take ibuprofen?

The use of ibuprofenin children under 3 months is not advisable. However, once they are older than this, the dose that can be given will depend on their weight and age.

The general recommendations are a dose of 20 to 30 milligrams for each kilogram of the child's body weight. In the same way, it should be divided into 3 or 4 individual doses.

Even so, the dosage indicated by the paediatrician must be followed, and we must make sure that the interval between doses is not less than 4 hours.

Do you need a prescription to buy ibuprofen?

In Spain, the so-called EFPs or advertised pharmacy medicines coexist with generic ibuprofen products. This means you can get ibuprofen 400without needing a prescription medicine, unlike ibuprofen 600.

However,if what we want is tobuy higher-strength ibuprofen, we definitely need to see a doctorso they can prescribe it. This presentation is not necessary for a knock, sore throat or headache, but should instead be used to treat more severe pain such as, for example, arthritis.

Although we have explained that there is no risk if the maximum dose is not exceeded, the truth is thatself-medication is a serious problem. The consequences of repeated and excessive use of this type of pharmaceutical product can be very serious in the medium and long term.

For example, it can cause serious damage to the kidneys and stomach. For this reason, it is not recommended if you have kidney problems, heart failure, liver disease, ulcers or perforations and bleeding in the digestive system or stomach.

Likewise, some recent studies state thatongoing treatment with NSAIDs increases the risk of heart failure by 50%.

On the other hand, during breastfeeding, pregnancy or in the case of children, it is necessary to see a doctor who can make a diagnosis and prescribe an appropriate dose for each situation. So, before considering taking any medicine whatsoever, including ibuprofen, it is advisable to consult a pharmacist or doctor.

Buying ibuprofen: 400 or 600?

As we have already mentioned, both the pharmacists at Farmaciasdirect and doctors strongly support using400 milligrams of ibuprofen.

The reason is that this dose is safer and has been proven effective for mild and moderate pain. It can also be used when you have a fever, as the difference compared with the effectiveness of the 600 mg version is minimal.

What can we do, for example, in the event of a migraine episode? In this situation, studies have shown no more side effects than a placebo in a short treatment withdoses below 1600 mg daily.

On the other hand, a dose above 2400 mg daily is associated with an increased risk of thrombosis and other cardiovascular events. However, when used occasionally, a daily ibuprofen dose of 1200 mg is not associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular adverse events.

In addition, this dose has similar effectiveness to diclofenac 50 milligrams every 8 hours for relieving postoperative pain.Taking ibuprofen 600 is no more effective than taking 400 milligrams to control mild or moderate pain. But it is linked to a higher risk of adverse effects.

In short, although the best-selling dose in Spain isibuprofen 600, the most advisable one is 400. This is the case whenever common complaints such as knocks, sprains, severe period pain, joint pain or muscle pain are being treated.

If a fever appears but there is no pain, taking paracetamol may be enough. Remember that at Farmaciasdirect you canbuy pharmacy ibuprofenand any of our otheronline medicines without a prescription.