Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal medicine. The nature of its origin is exclusively synthetic, and the ibuprofen substance itself is a derivative of phenylpropionic acid. The drug has a variety of forms of release - ointments and gels for external use, suspension for the treatment of children, capsules, tablets for the manufacture of an effervescent solution.
When is the medicine used?
The use of “Ibuprofen” is advisable for pains of various origins: articular, head, dental, menstrual. It is also prescribed at high temperature as an antipyretic. Many patients, because of their employment, unwillingness to queue in the clinic, or simply laziness, do not seek medical advice. As a result, some people use this drug constantly and forget about precautions. The fact is that an overdose of "Ibuprofen" can occur not only because of its use in increased quantities, but also with its constant use.
Causes of Ibuprofen Poisoning
The toxic effects of Ibuprofen are not well understood. It is assumed that its negative effect is associated with a slowdown in the synthesis of prostaglandins, that is, biologically active substances that take part in some physiological reactions in the body. Side effects are explained by a decrease in prostaglandin production.
These include:
- decreased blood flow in the kidneys;
- gastrointestinal mucosa defects;
- platelet aggregation disorders.
These effects are further enhanced, signs of poisoning appear, and as a result, convulsions, respiratory arrest, i.e. apnea, and death are possible . An overdose of "Ibuprofen" is very dangerous.
With prolonged use, what happens?
One such case was described by Australian doctors when patients were admitted to hospitals complaining of the development of paralysis and muscle weakness. They all took this drug for a long time, wanting to eliminate chronic pain.
Blood samples were taken from patients and hypokalemia was found in them, that is, a decrease in the concentration of potassium. Deficiency of this element causes defects in muscle polarization, and as a result, paresis, paralysis, cardiac arrhythmias, digestive and respiratory defects occur.
Why does an overdose of Ibuprofen occur?
Ibuprofen is available in various forms. One tablet contains two hundred milligrams of the active substance. According to the instructions, for adults, the maximum allowable daily dose is 2400 mg, that is, twelve tablets. This amount is divided into three or four doses with a break between them from four to six hours.
After Ibuprofen began to be sold in pharmacies without a prescription, there were more cases of side symptoms. To save themselves from pain, people drink it for years, and the consequences are very serious in the end.
An overdose of "Ibuprofen" is possible in the following cases:
- Erroneous reception. Since the drug is produced by many pharmaceutical companies in various forms, confusion is obtained. Often, patients forget to read the instructions and see how much the active ingredient is in. Acting in accordance with his habits, a person is able to drink more medicine than is allowed.
- Storage of the medicine in a place open for the child to access. A situation is also possible when a child finds a delicious syrup and drinks the entire bottle. In this case, we are talking about an overdose of this drug in children.
- During self-medication. Patients sometimes do not trust doctors and tend to fight the disease on their own, based on the advice of those around them. Typically, such experiments have a deplorable outcome. A prolonged and constant increase in temperature, accompanying serious infectious diseases, purulent inflammations and sepsis, is interrupted by an unreasonable amount of Ibuprofen.
It is worth paying attention to the fact that patients are required to know how much the use of tablets can cause an overdose. If you take the drug in excess of this norm, serious consequences can occur. Severe disorders in adults are most often manifested when taking doses in excess of four hundred milligrams per kilogram.
An overdose of “Ibuprofen” in children will be discussed below.
Signs of Poisoning
In the practice of physicians, there are often cases when the patient takes the drug uncontrollably. But the consequences of an overdose of this drug are determined not only by the number of tablets, but also by the time that has passed since taking it.
If the dose of Ibuprofen has been exceeded, the following signs of poisoning are observed:
- Digestive apparatus defects, namely, stool disorders, abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea.
- Visual impairment due to exposure to high doses of the drug on the optic nerve: fuzzy and blurry image, sensation of double objects in the eyes. Symptoms of an overdose of "Ibuprofen" need to know everyone.
- Toxic hepatitis - pain in the side, an increase in the size of the liver, jaundice, transformation of liver samples: increased ALT, AST, in some cases, alkaline phosphatase.
- Changes in the nervous system: drowsiness, cramps, lethargy, depression of consciousness.
- Hemorrhagic syndrome, manifested in the form of intestinal or stomach bleeding, can also bleed sores in the oral cavity.
- Heart pathologies: increased pressure, bradycardia.
- Various allergic reactions, such as edema, respiratory defects, asthma attacks, urticaria.
- Metabolic disorders: acidosis.
- Defects in kidney function.
- The onset of nystagmus.
- Depression.
- Hearing impairment. The consequences of an overdose of "Ibuprofen" can be very serious.
What to do?
If there are any signs of drug poisoning, you must immediately stop taking it and take measures to save the patient. If first aid is not provided, defects of the most important systems of the body — blood circulation, respiration — appear, apnea begins, and the state of coma ends in death.
It is noted that there is no direct connection between the severity of symptoms and the amount of drug taken, but the outcome is more determined by what the individual sensitivity of the body is. In certain situations, there may not be a fatal outcome due to the use of pills in large amounts. The consequences are due to the patient's age, the presence of chronic diseases, his weight, etc.
First Aid Features
In case of an overdose of "Ibuprofen" there is no special antidote. The therapeutic course has two directions:
- The elimination of substances from the body by mechanical means, that is, by washing the stomach with water.
- Decreased absorption of the drug into the bloodstream: adsorbents are used for this purpose, for example, with mild symptoms of activated charcoal (from thirty to forty grams). The tablets must be crushed and given to the patient after the stomach is empty. If the degree of poisoning is severe, medications such as Enterosgel and Polysorb are used. What else to do with an overdose of Ibuprofen?
Symptomatic treatment
If taken improperly, symptomatic treatment is carried out. Due to the fact that this drug is excreted together with urine and provokes acidosis, patients need an alkaline formed diuresis. You need to know the timing of the withdrawal of the medicine. Its maximum content in the blood is observed after one or two hours, which is determined by the time of taking the medicine - before meals or after. Elimination is carried out through the kidneys, after a day the substance is removed from the body in full.
You need to know how many Ibuprofen tablets (the effects of an overdose are now known) can be taken. For children, a single dose can be taken every 6-8 hours, it varies from 30-40 mg / kg per day. For adults and adolescents, it is also recommended to take medicine in a dosage of 400 mg every 4-6 hours.
Overdose in children
Ibuprofen-containing medications are often used to treat febrile syndrome in children with bacterial infections and acute respiratory infections. We must not forget that the temperature gets off only when it exceeds thirty-eight and a half degrees. Sometimes parents neglect this and give the children NSAIDs with mild hyperthermia.
Overdose is determined by the following signs:
- temperature drop below thirty-six degrees;
- lethargy of the child and a tendency to sleep;
- sticky cold sweat on the body.
If diarrhea and intestinal dysfunction are observed, this does not always indicate an overdose in children, since this is the side effect of the drug on the digestive tract.
Poisoning in childhood occurs when taking medication in doses of more than one hundred milligrams per kilogram of weight. When a child is taking a large amount of funds, it is necessary to rinse his stomach. As soon as suspicious symptoms appear, you should immediately call an ambulance.
Now we know how an overdose manifests itself and how many Ibuprofen tablets are safe to take.