New Book Details the Good, Bad and Unexpected of Ibuprofen
What you don’t know about ibuprofen, one of the world’s most popular painkillers, could well fill a book — and that book has just been published, authored by Professor Aldrin Gomes and 36 of his current and former students at the University of California, Davis.
“Ibuprofen is an affordable and widely used medication that has transformed pain management for millions worldwide,” said Gomes, who teaches in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior. “However, its story serves as a powerful reminder of the delicate balance between benefit and risk.”
Ibuprofen is ubiquitous, with many people taking it several days a month for headaches, aches and pains, or to control fevers. But peel back the label on that bottle in your bathroom cupboard and there is a list of adverse side effects: stroke, heart attack, heart failure, stomach bleeding. One study found that ibuprofen tripled the risk of stroke while other studies found an increased risk of stroke ranging from 10% to 50%, Gomes said. This risk begins within the first few weeks of regular, daily use.
Ibuprofen interacts with more than 400 other prescription drugs; dropped pills can be toxic to pets; and it finds its way into waterways, harming fish and plants.
“These are things most people don’t know,” he said.
Gomes’ lab studies the biochemical pathways through which ibuprofen and other painkillers affect the body, both positively to control pain, fever and inflammation, and negatively to cause side effects. He is especially interested in how and why these drugs affect the cardiovascular system.