"CHRONIC IBUPROFEN USE"

"My 10-month-old son is very sensitive to teething pain. What do you know about the safety of ibuprofen if given on a regular basis? I normally give him one dose a day at bedtime so that he is able to sleep better. Is this safe to do over a period of a few weeks at a time? It really helps but I worry about the accumulative effects of regular dosing."

When my kids were younger, and teething, I would give them ibuprofen once a day for a week or so, and did not worry about this. I figured that if it was safe to use four times a day for 2 days (per the dosing instructions on the package) then it should be okay to spread those same 8 doses over a week. Of course, since then, new information has come out about the safety of OTHER non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (like Celebrex). Current safety information indicates that it is safe to use ibuprofen for up to ten days for pain. It is probably safe for longer, but it would depend on how many doses you are using per day.