The modern pharmaceutical market is saturated with all kinds of anti-inflammatory drugs. One of the most famous and sought after is the Nurofen Express. It belongs to the NSAID group and is used to relieve pain syndromes, as well as an antipyretic.
Material Content:
- 1 Forms of release and composition of the drug
- 2 Pharmacological action and pharmacokinetics
- 3 What helps Nurofen Express
- 4 Instructions for use and dosage
- 5 During pregnancy and breastfeeding
- 6 Drug interaction
- 7 Alcohol compatibility
- 8 Contraindications, side effects and overdose
- 9 Anti-inflammatory analogues
Forms of release and composition of the drug
The developer of the drug is the English company Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare International Ltd. The main active ingredient of the drug is ibuprofen. Along with it, Nurofen Express contains auxiliary components.
Among them:
- titanium dioxide;
- octadecanoic acid;
- talc;
- sodium dodecyl sulfate;
- sucrose;
- croscarmellose sodium;
- gum arabic;
- sodium citric acid;
- polysorb;
- an opcode;
- polyethylene glycol.
Nurofen Express is available in several popular formats at once:
- tablet form of Nurofen Express Neo 200 mg with a shell, packed in blisters for 6 or 12 pcs.;
- gelatin capsules;
- Nurofen Express Gel;
- Nurofen Express Lady is a special medication format designed to relieve pain during menstruation.
Along with a variety of tablets in a dosage of 200 mg, there is a more powerful Nurofen Express forte 400 mg.
Pharmacological action and pharmacokinetics
Nurofen Express refers to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.Active substances, acting on cyclooxygenases (first and second type), eliminate pain, reduce the inflammatory processes that occur in the tissues, and also relieve heat. Ibuprofen has a pronounced antiplatelet effect. In addition, the drug slows down the synthesis of Pg.
Nurofen Express has an extremely high absorption. This is one of the few pain medications that is completely absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract when taken orally. Already after 15-20 minutes after taking the medicine, it penetrates the blood and binds to plasma proteins. The maximum concentration of ibuprofen (provided that it was drunk on an empty stomach) is detected after 35 minutes. If a meal was taken with the painkiller, the absorption period increases.
2 hours after ingestion, ibuprofen begins to break down in the liver cells, after which it is excreted by the kidneys. In an insignificant concentration, the decay products of Nurofen Express come out with bile. Studies have established that a small proportion of ibuprofen passes into breast milk, however, its concentration is so small that with short-term therapy there will be no negative effect on the newborn.
The gel format of the drug penetrates the tissues within 24 hours. Moreover, the bulk of the substances are absorbed into the upper and middle layers of the epidermis. To deeper tissues can reach no more than 5% of the drug.
What helps Nurofen Express
Oral formats of the drug are used as anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and light anesthetic.
The following indications are for use:
- headache, migraines;
- rheumatic polymyalgia;
- myalgia;
- painful menstruation;
- toothache;
- chills accompanying colds or flu (as an antipyretic)
- pain caused by trauma or surgery.
In addition, this anti-inflammatory drug is used for osteochondrosis, joint inflammation, ankylosing spondylitis and gout.
Gel Nurofen Express helps with muscle pain, sprains or muscles, mechanical damage and arthritis.
Instructions for use and dosage
Tablets and capsules are taken orally. To minimize the effect on the gastrointestinal tract, it is recommended to use Nurofen Express after meals. Dosage standards depend on the age of the patient.
Recommendations regarding the amount of drug are as follows:
- adults - 400 mg three times a day;
- children over 12 years of age - 200 mg 3 to 4 times a day (between doses, an interval of 6 hours is mandatory);
- patients 6-12 years old - the dosage is identical to 12 years of age, however, the capsule format of the drug is contraindicated for this age group due to the substances contained in the shell.
At temperatures above 39 degrees Nurofen Express is taken at the rate of 10 mg per 1 kg of patient body weight. If this temperature bar is not exceeded, then the dosage is halved.
A feature of the oral Nurofen Express formats is that the maximum possible duration of therapy does not exceed 3 days. If after the indicated period of relief of pain did not occur, you must contact a medical institution for examination by a specialist.
Gel Nurofen Express is applied to areas of the skin in the area of which there are unpleasant, painful sensations. The contents of the tube are extruded with a strip of 4 to 10 cm. During the day, 4-fold application of the gel is allowed, however, a break of 4 hours is required between the procedures.
We must not forget about hygiene, and after applying the drug, wash your hands with soap in order to avoid getting particles of the medication inside.
The duration of therapy is 2 weeks. If a positive effect is not achieved, then you must consult a doctor to find out the causes of pain.
During pregnancy and breastfeeding
The appointment of the drug during pregnancy should be carried out only by a specialist.It should be noted that during the 3rd trimester Nurofen Express is strictly contraindicated. In 1 and 2, short-term use is allowed, but under the supervision of a physician.
During lactation, the use of the drug is completely safe for the child, if you do not violate the prescribed medical prescriptions. If a specialist determines the need for long-term therapy using Nurofen Express, then the issue of stopping breastfeeding should be decided.
Women planning a pregnancy, it is useful to know that this anti-inflammatory drug affects ovulation and reduces the likelihood of conception. After discontinuation of therapy, reproductive function returns to normal.
Drug interaction
Nurofen Express is a fairly powerful anti-inflammatory drug. Therefore, in order to avoid the risk of an increase in adverse reactions, its simultaneous use with other drugs of this group, as well as with aspirin, is not recommended. A safe daily dose of the latter is 75 mg.
In addition, there is a whole list of drugs that may be affected by ibuprofen.
Among them:
- Thrombolytic drugs and blood thinners: combination with Nurofen Express enhances their effect. A similar effect occurs while taking an anesthetic with insulin and hypoglycemic agents.
- Glucocorticoids, SSRIs and antiplatelet agents in combination with Nurofen Express can lead to the formation of ulcers and bleeding of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Diuretics and antihypertensive drugs, as well as Mifepristone together with ibuprofen, will significantly reduce the effectiveness.
- Microsomal oxidation inducers, together with an anesthetic, can cause serious intoxication.
- Tubular secretion blockers, colestyramine and antacids impair ibuprofen absorption.
- Cardiac glycosides supplemented with ibuprofen reduce the glomerular filtration rate, which is fraught with a deterioration in the condition of patients with heart failure.
- Cyclosporin and Tacrolimus in the company with Nurofen Express enhance the toxic effect and negative effect on the kidneys.
- The fluoroquinol antibiotics taken with ibuprofen can cause seizures.
- Azidothymidine in combination with ibuprofen causes an increase in the genotoxic effect.
- Cephalosporins supplemented with painkillers impair blood coagulation.
If you take Nurofen Express with caffeine, then there will be an increase in the analgesic effect.
In relation to the gel format of the drug, there are no specific instructions for interaction with other medicines, due to its low absorption in the body tissue.
Alcohol compatibility
The concomitant use of Nurofen Express with alcohol-containing drinks significantly increases the toxic effect, which is fraught with an increase in the likelihood of occurrence and exacerbation of side effects. Therefore, during treatment, alcohol should be completely excluded.
Contraindications, side effects and overdose
If there are health problems, you should study the information about contraindications, which contains instructions for use.
It is better to abandon the use of Nurofen Express to persons who are diagnosed with:
- serious pathologies in the work of the kidneys or liver;
- violation of blood coagulation;
- pathological excess concentration of potassium in the blood;
- digestive tract diseases (ulcer, erosion, inflammation, bleeding);
- a combination of intolerance to the components of the drug with asthma of a bronchial nature, nasal polyps and sinuses in a progressive form.
In addition, if there is an individual intolerance to the components of the drug, it is also better to refuse it. Nurofen Express is forbidden to give to young children, as well as pregnant women in recent months.
Failure to comply with the prescribed conditions of administration leads to a negative reaction to the drug:
- Disruptions in the digestive tract (inflammation of the oral cavity, ulcers on the mucous membranes, violation of the bowel movement, inflammation of the pancreas, pain in the stomach).
- Allergic skin reactions (rashes, often itching, swelling, anaphylaxis, allergic rhinitis, increased sweating).
- Pathological conditions of the nervous system (sleep disturbance, phobias, sudden mood swings, migraines, psychomotor agitation, hallucinations, temporary hearing impairment).
- Dysfunction of the urinary system (slowing fluid removal, inflammation of the bladder, increased urine formation, nephritis of an allergic nature).
- Disruption of the cardiovascular and hematopoietic system (shortness of breath, pressure surges, tachycardia, anemia, neutropenia, decreased platelet count).
- Ophthalmic problems (conjunctivitis, swelling of the eyelids, temporary loss of vision, inflammation of the optic nerve, redness and dry eyes).
When observing the recommendations of a specialist, the risk of encountering such reactions of the body is minimized. As a rule, they can appear when both the dosage and the duration of therapy are exceeded.
With a significant excess of a single amount of Nurofen Express, gastric lavage is necessary. Along with this, according to the circumstances, the administration of enterosorbents, anticonvulsants, alkaline drink or forcing diuresis is indicated.
Anti-inflammatory analogues
Due to the high effectiveness of ibuprofen in relieving inflammation and pain, it is part of many medicines.
In particular, it can be found in drugs:
- Ketonal Duo;
- Strepsils Intensive;
- Arthrum;
- Flamax;
- Brustan;
- Ibuprom;
- Ibuprofen;
- Moment;
- Nalgesin and many others.
In addition, there is a special analogue of Nurofen Express, made for children.
Despite the fact that medicines containing ibuprofen are on the open market, they should not be started without a doctor’s prescription. A call to a specialist is necessary, because only he will be able to determine the cause of pain and prescribe the correct treatment algorithm.
