Ban on advertising for Ibuprofen: what are the alarming side effects reported by consumers ?

La publicité pour l’ibuprofène, bientôt interdite

Face à l’augmentation des signalements d’effets indésirables graves liés à la prise d’ibuprofène 400mg, l’Agence nationale de sécurité du médicament (ANSM) a décidé d’en interdire la publicité (papier, radio, télé, Internet…) à partir du 2 avril prochain.

"400 or 200 ?". We have all heard this question when purchasing ibuprofen in pharmacies. However, like any medication, ibuprofen is not a harmless product.

Adverse effects

Like other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), it can cause digestive side effects such as nausea or abdominal pain.

It can also cause more serious digestive effects, such as bleeding from the stomach or intestine (gastrointestinal bleeding) and intestinal perforations (hole in the wall of the intestine). rsquo;intestine and colon), which can lead to the death of the patient.

However, many advertisements praise the effectiveness and speed of products containing 400mg of ibuprofen. Thus, as reported by the ANSM, "reports of serious adverse effects linked to the dose of ibuprofen, in particular gastro-digestive bleeding and kidney damage, have increased in parallel with the number of advertisements to the general public in favor of ibuprofen 400 mg."

Advertising prohibited

The Agency has therefore decided to prohibit advertising for medicines containing 400 mg of ibuprofen from April 2, 2024. Finally, remember that as a first intention, it is best to use the lowest possible dose, i.e. 200 mg, for the shortest duration.

This medication is preferably taken in the middle of meals in order to limit unwanted digestive effects. The doses must be spaced at least 6 hours apart.

Note that since 2019, ibuprofen is no longer freely available. Since this date, the boxes must be positioned behind the pharmacist's counter.