Ibuprofen 600mg, the equivalent of three over-the-counter (OTC) pills is used to treat pain related to arthritis, according to the Mayo Clinic. The 600mg tablet is only available through prescription. No patient should every take more than the recommended dose of the drug label before consulting a doctor. This medication alters chemical signals in the body to reduce pain, swelling and inflammation. A patient should always be cautious of taking a large dose of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as ibuprofen because of the side effects that NSAIDs are prone to cause.
Stomach Bleeding
The main side effect of concern when taking ibuprofen 600mg is stomach bleeding, according to Drugs.com. Ibuprofen 600mg causes stomach bleeding because it reduces the substances that protect the stomach lining from stomach acid that the body produces to digest food. Stomach acid can damage the stomach and cause bleeding. A patient taking ibuprofen 600mg should stop taking it and seek emergency medical treatment if he begins to cough or vomit blood or has black, bloody or tarry stools. Left untreated, death can occur from uncontrolled internal bleeding.
Chest Pain
Drugs.com states that chest pain is also a side effect of ibuprofen 600mg. This occurs because ibuprofen alters chemical signals in the heart that may cause blood vessels to constrict, reduce blood flow to the heart and cause chest pain. Chest pain requires immediate medical treatment because chest pain is related to other serious medical conditions, such as heart attack. In this case, the patient should stop taking ibuprofen 600mg and go to a hospital for proper heart monitoring to prevent further complications.
Headache
Ibuprofen 600mg may cause a headache because it interferes with certain chemical signals in the brain that may cause a patient to have a headache. Drugs.com states that headache is a serious side effect of ibuprofen 600mg that requires immediate discontinuation of the drug and prompt medical treatment. A severe headache may be a sign of another medical condition, such a bleeding in the brain. The doctor will likely change medication to one that will not cause headache.
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