New data showed that nearly 15% of adult ibuprofen users exceeded the maximum recommended dose of ibuprofen or other NSAIDs in a 1-week period.
An online study analyzed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) use with a 1-week diary study in included 1,326 ibuprofen users. The vast majority (90%) of ibuprofen use was with over-the-counter (OTC) agents.
Of the participants, 37% took non-ibuprofen NSAID; the rest took ibuprofen. Those that exceeded the recommended daily NSAID limits included 11% on ibuprofen and 4% on other NSAIDs. This occurred an average of 9.1% of NSAID usage days.
Those with excessive daily use were more likely to be male, with ongoing pain, poor physical function, daily smoking, and the attitude of "choosing my own dose" and not starting with the lowest dose. They also had poor knowledge of the recommended one-time and 24-hour dose limits.