Taking ibuprofen daily can have some serious side effects on your body. We asked experts to explain what happens if you take it too often.
Motrin, Midol, Advil, and Addaprin—these are all brand names of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) ibuprofen, and many of us keep a bottle or two of this medicine in the bathroom cabinet in case of headaches, cramps, or other minor discomforts. In addition to the over-the-counter (OTC) version that can be grabbed off the shelf, prescription ibuprofen was also the 38th most prescribed drug in the U.S. as of 2020, so a lot of us are taking it. But just because it's popular and easy to obtain, does that mean it's safe to take every day? We asked a doctor. Read on to see what might happen to your body if you take this drug every day for a month or more. READ THIS NEXT: I'm a Pharmacist, and This Is the Medication I Always Warn Patients About. You could develop hearing problems. Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD, Urgent Care Medical Director and Physician at Carbon Health and Saint Mary's Hospital, shared with Best Life, "As an urgent care and family medicine physician, I often recommend a short course of ibuprofen to my patients because it can help alleviate symptoms such as fever, headache, and/or body aches. However, taking the drug for a prolonged time can cause you to develop serious complications." One of those is tinnitus, or ringing in the ear. Curry-Winchell says tinnitus can be brought about "by ibuprofen reducing the amount of blood that flows to the inner ear." You might experience gastrointestinal issues. Reema Hammoud, PharmD and AVP of Clinical Pharmacy at Sedgwick, explains that even OTC versions of ibuprofen can lead to serious gastrointestinal problems "like stomach bleed or ulcers." Ibuprofen is a known factor in the development of open sores on the inside of your stomach, known as peptic ulcers. Curry-Winchell also notes the potential for stomach pain as a result of long-term ibuprofen use. "Ibuprofen interferes with the stomach's ability to digest food, causing damage to the lining of your stomach," she says. "This can result in symptoms…