Q. Our 50-year-old son just visited us. He asked for Advil and took four at one time when he felt one of his severe headaches coming on. He said a doctor told him it was OK to take this dosage, but no more than eight over a 24-hour period. This doesn’t conform to the instructions on the label. My son has me worried.
A. When a new medication appears on the over-the-counter market, it usually has a fine safety record as a prescribed medication. Yet when placed in the hands of consumers who often fail to read or conform to the instructions on the label, the dosage levels are reduced below those generally used when the medication was a prescription-only drug.
And that’s the case with many of the ibuprofens now on the market, Advil being but one.
When used as a prescription medication, the dosage of ibuprofen is 800 mg; the over-the-counter dose is merely 200 mg. At that dosage, ibuprofen is an effective headache medication for most people. For some severe headaches, however, as well as the severe pains that come with trauma and severe attacks of arthritis, the higher dosage provides greater relief.
The important words here are that the “doctor told” your son it was all right, for a dose of 800 mg (that’s four 200 mg tablets) should be taken only upon advice of a physician.
The need for a high dosage of ibuprofen should be established by a full examination by a doctor. If this is the medication that can help, a prescription should be issued and filled. Then the instructions should be followed to the letter.
There are times, however, when a patient with a well-known condition can’t visit the office. Then it is expedient to tell the patient to increase the dosage of an over-the-counter preparation to the level of a prescribed medication.
I THOUGHT YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW
A gun in a home is not unusual: Almost half the households in the U.S. possess at least one firearm, and more than 222 million guns are registered.
To help educate the public about gun safety, the Emergency Nurses Association and the Master Lock Company have joined forces to produce a new public education booklet on the subject. Titled “Gun Safety: It’s No Accident,” the publication provides information about safe gun handling, safe gun storage and tips to assure the safety of children. Call (888) SAFETY-3 to obtain your free copy.
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Write to Dr. Bruckheim in care of the Chicago Tribune, Room 400, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60611.
