Ibuprofen is a short-term pain reliever, full of potential long-term harm. Many Wenatchee High School students have turned to popping a pill for short-term benefits, but has ibuprofen turned into a mental crutch that is far too popular among students?

Ibuprofen can cause an upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, headaches, diarrhea, constipation, dizziness, and drowsiness.

Local pharmacist Kristine Blanksma says that while the chemical structure of ibuprofen is non-addictive, people are using it as a crutch. “It’s just kind of something they use to make them feel better,” she said.

“Ibuprofen is available as a prescription only over 200mg for a reason, so when kids are taking prescription strength doses, and not sticking with the recommended doses on the label, or using it for extended periods, there will be problems internally that they might not be seeing,” Blanksma said.

Taking ibuprofen is not something to fool around with, Blanksma said. It is possible to overdose on the drug.

Three ibuprofen would be Blanksma’s maximum recommendation for normal sized high schoolers, but even so, ibuprofen has the potential to cause ulcers. “It can happen fairly quickly,” Blanksma said, adding that some people can get an ulcer after just two days of using ibuprofen regularly.

“I think ibuprofen is a great drug if used once in a while,” Blanksma said.

Ibuprofen is meant to be used to relieve inflammation, and Blanksma recommends that it’s used for specifically sports-related injuries that cause inflammation.

What about getting used to ibuprofen and its benefits eventually wearing off? That is possible, too, Blanksma said. “I think [with] any pain reliever, if you use it consistently, you’re going to reach a point where it’s no longer effective.”

While there is no real alternative to ibuprofen, Blanksma suggests that for headaches, patients only use Tylenol.

“When you use ibuprofen to help control headaches, paradoxically the medicine itself may actually be contributing to headaches,” Blanksma said. “The process, called ‘medication overuse headache,’ is one of the actual common causes of daily headaches.”

The newest fad drug, similar to ibuprofen, is Tramadol, which Blanksma said is somewhere “in between” ibuprofen and a narcotic. Tramadol is cheap and has properties similar to Vicodin, but is not an over-the-counter medication like ibuprofen. “There’s so many other ways to treat injuries besides pills,” she said.

“I don’t see a chemical… benefit for these kids popping these pills,” Blanksma said, adding that in reality, the pill-taker is creating “a lot of potential long-term harm.”

Using ibuprofen can also cause hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, which can eventually lead to even heart disease.

“There is a need for ibuprofen for short-term use at the recommended dose based on weight,” Blanksma said. “I think you really need to weigh the risk versus the benefit.”