Question
I have taken 800mg of ibuprofen 3 to 5 times a day for several years for chronic headaches.  When my headache is really bad the ibuprofen barely takes the edge off but usually is helpful (it doesn't take the headache away but does help).  My headaches have been worked up several times and are attributed to stress and tension.  They do seem to be getting less intense as the years go by but there are days when it lasts all day long.  My husband is concerned about the amount of ibuprofen I use, but as far as I know I haven't experienced any side effects.  What are your thoughts?

Answer
Ibuprofen appears to have the lowest incidence of gastrointestinal adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of all the non-selective NSAIDs. However, this only holds true at lower doses of ibuprofen, so over-the-counter preparations of ibuprofen are generally labeled to advise a maximum daily dose of 1,200 mg.

Common adverse effects include: nausea, dyspepsia, gastrointestinal ulceration/bleeding, raised liver enzymes, diarrhea, epistaxis, headache, dizziness, unexplained rash, salt and fluid retention, and hypertension.[5]

Infrequent adverse effects include: oesophageal ulceration, heart failure, hyperkalaemia, renal impairment, confusion, bronchospasm, rash.[5]

Very infrequent adverse effects include Stevens-Johnson syndrome.