(Generic label used for illustrative purposes)
Instead of having the directions clearly, consistently, and conveniently at the top, it’s expects you to unfurl the damn label like a scroll, read through the tiny print until you get to the directions and dosing information.
I’ve already got a headache. I don’t need to be squinting at this tiny text to try to find the one bit of relevant info I need. I just want my headache to go away for a while.
It’s not just aspirin, ibuprofen, etc. It seems like everything with a label is like this now.
General rule:
Ibuprofen: you’re not gonna OD, but it’s bad to take it to many days in a row
Tylenol: safe to take consistently for a long time, but dangerous to exceed dosage
Aspirin: no idea
I am not a doctor so… Probably ignore what I said and play it safe
When you exceed the recommended dosage: aspirin fucks your stomach, ibuprofen fucks your kidneys, acetaminophen fucks your liver, and Aleve fucks your heart.
For ibuprofen, you have to exceed the dosage by a large amount; you have to be really trying. This is evidenced by the dosage information on the packages themselves, which are totally inconsistent: 2x200mg 4 times a day is the max… But so is 2x400mg 4 times a day. But 2x600mg 4 times a day is the prescription dose. The more relevant danger of ibuprofen is chronic use, which can cause severe stomach issues.
At least this is what I’ve been able to find. But I still follow the dosage on the bottle because I’m not gonna risk it for a headache.
Second hand and circumstantial, but a nurse I meet worked with patients with severe kidney damage. She claimed A LOT were frequent ibuprofen users that by the time they realized something was wrong it was too late. One of the worst ways to go.
Yeah, from what I can tell if you frequently use ibuprofen it can be a problem. I thought it was mostly stomach but I’m not a medical expert so some of the sources were difficult for me to understand. Maybe it’s kidneys too. Or maybe I’m completely mistaken.