Ibuprofen
An NSAID for pain and fever. Adults 400 mg three times a day with food; children 10 mg/kg. Avoid in dengue, dehydration, kidney disease and ulcers.
Common brands in Pakistan: Brufen. Brand availability changes; check with your pharmacy.
On this page
Uses
- Pain (musculoskeletal, dental, period pain, renal colic), fever, gout.
Adult dose
| Use | Dose |
|---|---|
| Pain or fever | 200–400 mg 3–4 times daily with food (max 1.2 g/day over the counter; up to 2.4 g/day on prescription) |
Children's dose
| Age | Dose |
|---|---|
| 3 months and over (5 kg or more) | 10 mg/kg every 6–8 hours, max 30 mg/kg/day (max 400 mg per dose) |
Use the paracetamol and ibuprofen syrup calculator. Common syrup strength: 100 mg/5 mL.
Kidney and liver
Avoid in kidney impairment, dehydration and severe liver disease.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Avoid in pregnancy, especially from 20 weeks. Acceptable in breastfeeding.
Side effects and cautions
- Gastritis, ulcers and bleeding (use a PPI if at risk).
- AKI, especially with dehydration, ACE inhibitors and diuretics.
- Can worsen asthma in some people, heart failure and BP.
- Avoid in dengue (bleeding) and chickenpox (severe skin infections).
Frequently asked questions
What is the ibuprofen dose for a child?
10 mg/kg every 6–8 hours, up to 3 doses a day, for children over 3 months.
Can ibuprofen be given in dengue?
No. Use paracetamol only in dengue.
Used in these guides
- Ankle and foot injuries
- Back pain
- Burns
- Dental pain and dental infection
- Earache
- Elbow injuries
- Epididymo-orchitis
- Fever in a well-looking child
- Fractures and dislocations: the essentials
- Hand and finger injuries
- Headache in OPD
- Headache in the emergency department
- Knee injuries
- Neck injuries
- Rib injuries
- Shoulder injuries
- Sore throat
- The febrile child
- The limping child
- Wrist injuries
Sources
Doses on this page are typical doses from the sources above. Always confirm with a current drug reference, the product leaflet and your hospital protocol, especially in children, pregnancy and kidney or liver disease.
For FCPS Part 1
Revising for FCPS Part 1? Ibuprofen is covered in our textbook chapter Analgesics and NSAIDs, with practice MCQs.