Regardless of your age or gender, you can suffer from a tummy ache, which becomes very annoying if you need to do other activities, you are at work or school. Depending on what is causing your belly pain, it can be mild or very acute, increasing little by little or very quickly in the form of sudden contractions or cramps. It is recommended that you go to the doctor to do the necessary reviews and determine the correct treatment to relieve pain, especially if it is accompanied by other symptoms or does not disappear in days.
However, like many people, perhaps the first thing you decide to do when the pain begins is to use the known drugs to self-medicate, although it is not recommended, and you ask yourself: does ibuprofen work for belly pain? In this FastlyHealarticle we will inform you about it.
Table of Contents
Causes of tummy pain
Belly pain is one of the most common conditions. When you present it, it can be accompanied by some other symptoms such as nausea, heartburn, vomiting, diarrhea, gas, and bloating, among others. More than a disease itself, having a sore stomach is a sign that you have developed a pathology in the digestive system.
Among the least dangerous possible causes, you have eaten something in poor condition or had heavy digestion. However, it can also originate if you are under stress and worry due to trauma or the menstrual period. As for the conditions of the digestive system that could cause you pain in the belly, there are mainly gastrointestinal infections due to parasites or other microorganisms, food allergies, gastritis, ulcers, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and constipation.
On the other hand, the abdominal pain you feel does not necessarily have to do with the gastrointestinal disease but rather as a symptom of a problem in another organ in this area, for example, due to appendicitis, a hernia, liver disorders, pancreas or kidney, a tumor, some cardiovascular complications or inflammation in the urinary or reproductive system.
Expand this information by consulting the article Causes of stomach pain.
Ibuprofen and tummy pain
One of the drugs not usually lacking in homes is ibuprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory. It is very effective in fighting inflammation, helps reduce fever, and relieves pain caused by various disorders. For this reason, you are probably wondering: does ibuprofen cure tummy pain? The answer is no.
Even when ibuprofen is considered good to relieve any pain, when related to the stomach, it can give you the opposite effect and is more advisable for when you suffer from headaches, muscle pain, throat pain, and dental pain, among several others.
It is not recommended to take ibuprofen for stomach pain because one of the secondary reactions that it can generate is that it inhibits the formation of the protective mucosa of the stomach and favors the increase in the production of stomach acid, increasing the ailment that you could be feeling. Even thinking that ibuprofen relieves abdominal pain, there are other over-the-counter drugs on the market with better action against this discomfort and that are less aggressive in your body; however, you should consult your doctor to determine the cause and thus administer the most appropriate medication for your condition.
On the other hand, ibuprofen is one of the most widely used drugs to relieve pain in the belly during the menstrual period, thanks to its analgesic effect. In these cases, if you do not choose another medication, you should take ibuprofen together with food to reduce damage to the gut. If its use is frequent, you should also be taking a stomach protector for another condition.
Ibuprofen contraindications
If even knowing that the answer is negative, you decide to take this drug, it is necessary that you know some contraindications to it and avoids its consumption if any corresponds to your condition. Do not take ibuprofen, or consult your doctor before, if you have or have suffered:
- Kidney or liver failure, if you take the drug, you have to keep track of the condition.
- Gastric ulcers
- In bronchial asthma, the drug could give you bronchospasm.
- Cardiac disorders, since ibuprofen could promote the formation of edema.
- Pregnancy, mainly during the third trimester, avoids damage to the fetal cardiovascular system.
- Breastfeeding preventively, although the amount of ibuprofen that passes into breast milk is meager.
Likewise, we recommend that you consult the article How often can I take ibuprofen? make good consumption of this drug, and know what the recommended doses are.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Is ibuprofen useful for tummy pain? We recommend that you enter our Digestive System category .
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.