Hi! Just wondering - can you take ibuprofen if you’re asthmatic? I have started to come down with an ear infection, and wondering if I can take ibuprofen to help with the pain tonight until I can get in to see/speak to a doctor, paracetamol isn’t touching the pain in the slightest? I have taken ibuprofen in the past, and been absolutely fine with it, but I haven’t taken it since I got diagnosed with asthma, and I know it says in the leaflet not to take if asthmatic! I am currently asymptomatic, just taking my Clenil preventer, although was on a course of steroids a couple of weeks ago due to a flare up from a nasty cold!
The general advice is not to take it if you're asthmatic; likewise aspirin (a doctor told me the other week that they are a similar 'class' of painkiller). Apparently, about 1 in 10 asthmatics can have a serious reaction to it.
If you need a stronger painkiller, co-codamol/codeine are generally fine to take.
Thank you! Ooh useful to know about aspirin too, I didn’t realise that could cause reactions too! Thanks, unfortunately even the lowest dose of codeine makes me very sick, and spaces me out like I’m on another planet! The strongest painkiller I’ve ever managed is ibuprofen because my body just reacts so strongly to medication! Thanks for replying!
You're welcome. To be honest, I took aspirin for years with no trouble for headaches & so on, but I had a severe (& very painful!) episode of cellulitis recently that landed me in A&E. It was the doctor there that told me to steer clear of aspirin when I asked about painkillers.
You could try ringing NHS Direct to see what they think about ibuprofen, especially as you've used it before, but I'd not touch it without some medical guidance.
I was ok with it drs even prescribed naproxen for me as I’d never had a prob taking it but since my meds have been altered and I’m also taking an antidepressant I can’t take any form of ibrofen I think it’s best talking to your chemist or dr as no two asthmatics are the same x
My history with ibuprofen is, at first, no asthma problems, then asthma problems which reversed when ibuprofen finished, then asthma problems that got worse but didn’t go away, then I gave it up. It’s so good with bad pain, I took some convincing!
Ibuprofen and aspirin are made from salycic acid, see Wikipedia, derived from the bark of willow trees. When my asthma worsened despite giving up ibuprofen, I googled salicylates in other medications and food. It’s the basis of salbutamol/ventolin, so I swapped to brycanyl.
The charts of food that include salycilates is online. Once I observed this diet, my asthma improved. Then once my body had dealt with a surplus of salicylates in my system, I could relax the diet a bit.
Salicylates are also the ‘fixers’ in most perfumes, which I find hardest of all to avoid.
Thank you! That’s a very interesting read! Haha yeah I agree with needing convincing to not take it, ibuprofen is the strongest painkiller I can tolerate, anything even slightly stronger makes me so poorly! X
Some can and some can’t. I know one big clue is nasal polyps. There is a type of asthma where aspirin and NSAIDS will aggravate the asthma. Three signs; one of them is nasal polyps.
This is one where the risk is yours. Advice is don't take it or aspirin, however if you have not had problems before and you take it properly then should be ok.
By properly you have to take aspirin/ibuprofen with Food.
I am asthmatic and take when I need it ibuprofen or Naproxen or aspirin.
This is at my own risk. I know it can cause problems but for me it never has and have to weight the benefit with potential harm.
No one can decide and if talk to Dr and say never had any problems they will advise you that if you take it it is at your own risk.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Ibuprofen?
Asthma triggered by ibuprofen?
Pain relief and asthma
