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Ibuprofen, NSAID users often exceed recommended dosages, study finds

February 8, 2018
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Boston — Nearly 1 out of 5 U.S. adults takes more than the recommended dose of ibuprofen or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in one week, according to a recent study from the Boston University School of Medicine.

Researchers examined weeklong online medical diaries of more than 1,300 people who reported taking ibuprofen in the preceding month. Analysis showed that 90 percent of participants took ibuprofen during the week of entries, while 37 percent also took non-ibuprofen NSAIDs.

The study revealed that those most likely to exceed the recommended dosage displayed the following characteristics: “ongoing pain, poor physical function, daily smoking, having the attitudes of ‘choosing my own dose’ and not starting with the lowest dose, and poor knowledge of the recommended one-time and 24-hour doses.”

NSAIDs may carry serious side effects such as gastrointestinal bleeding and, in some cases, heart attacks, a BU press release states. The researchers suggest informing consumers about proper dosing directions to limit excess dosing.

“It is important to understand how many users exceed the maximum, how they do it and what characteristics are associated with overuse,” David Kaufman, lead study author and BU professor of epidemiology, said in the release. “This knowledge can help guide consumer interventions to promote safer use.”

The study was published online in the journal Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety.

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February 9, 2018
The article did not mention any reasons why people take more than the recommended dosage of any OTC drug. For one, people can build up a tolerance over time. Two, doctors prescribe the same drugs in higher dosages all of the time. A prescription for 800 mg ibuprofen is almost always more expensive (and more trouble to obtain) than a large bottle of the OTC dose from the grocery store. Also, doctors are good at prescribing drugs for conditions that cause pain. However, that does not address the root cause of that pain. So, when people self-medicate with OTC pain meds, they may already know something about their condition. For example, if the pain is caused by an injury that happened 30 years ago and the patient has a standing appointment(s) with specialist, then why would they want a doctor to prescribe pain meds that do not solve their problem? I agree that people need to use OTC meds wisely. However, doctors also need to give patients credit for knowing their own bodies and realize that they cannot or should not fix everything with a prescription.
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Matt C.
February 9, 2018
I was always shocked when my coworker would pop 1g (5x 200mg) of ibuprofen for her menstrual cramps. She said anything less would have no effect. Of the characteristics listed in the article, "ongoing pain, poor physical function, daily smoking, having the attitudes of ‘choosing my own dose’ and not starting with the lowest dose, and poor knowledge of the recommended one-time and 24-hour doses," the only one that applied to her was the ongoing pain. She was a smart woman who was fit and well-educated. She is not the only one I know who regularly takes medication at this dosage.
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