Ibuprofen side effects long-term

These common side effects of ibuprofen taken by mouth happen in more than 1 in 100 people. There are things you can do to help cope with them:

Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if the advice on how to cope does not help and a side effect is still bothering you or does not go away.

Common side effects of gel, mousse and spray

You're less likely to have side effects when you apply ibuprofen to your skin than with tablets, capsules, granules or liquid because less gets into your body.

But you may still get the same side effects, especially if you use a lot on a large area of skin.

Applying ibuprofen to your skin can sometimes cause your skin to become more sensitive than normal to sunlight. Speak to your doctor if this is a problem.

Serious side effects

Call a doctor or call 111 straight away and stop taking ibuprofen if you have:

• black poo or blood in your vomit – these can be signs of bleeding in your stomach
• swollen ankles, blood in your pee or not peeing at all – these can be signs of a kidney problem