Sick day - why the hell does my ear ring?

[Aurora]

I never take 1 when I take Ibuprofen. I almost always take 2.
Here is what Wikipedia had to say- note the bolded.

Low doses of ibuprofen (200 mg., and sometimes 400 mg.) are available over the counter (OTC) in most countries. Ibuprofen has a dose-dependent duration of action of approximately 4–8 hours, which is longer than suggested by its short half-life. The recommended dose varies with body mass and indication. Generally, the oral dose is 200–400 mg (5–10 mg/kg in children) every 4–6 hours, up to a usual maximum daily dose of 800–1200 mg. Under medical direction, a maximum daily dose of 3200 mg may sometimes be used.

So, if taking one pill at a time is leaving you in pain, I *personally* would take more, but not exceed 3200 mg. Hope you feel better soon!

 

[LightPhoenix]

I am a little nervous that I might have misunderstood his directions. He told me 800 mg of ibuprofen 3 times a day, but that's 4 pills, and the package says take 1 pill every 4 to 6 hours. I wonder if he meant for me to space out the ibuprofen over the course of a day, rather than taking 12 pills a day. I wish I'd thought to call earlier.

Again, IANAD (only a biochemist with two years in a hospital ).

However, the dosage on a bottle of over-the-counter ibuprofen is pretty small. You can actually take a lot more than is suggested on the bottle. Not that I recommend it under normal circumstances, but you can. 800mg will be fine, and is probably the correct dose.

As an important note, this is for adults only. Never give children higher than recommended doses... they don't deal with drugs nearly as well as adults do.

 

[was]

It probably has something to do with the drainage from your sinus cavities, especially if its on the side of your head that rests againts your pillow at night.