branded Ibuprofen vs home brand ibuprofen

junmist · Post by **junmist** » Sun Mar 24, 2013 9:16 pm

Ok this is more for the medics among us.
Like many of us I normally buy home brand ibuprofen rather than the more expensive stuff. But this weekend I have had a toothache so went took my normal Ibuprofen tablets but was surprised that they were no better at touching the pain than taking paracetamols(they do normally work) so went and brought some nurofen which I had been advised to take many moons ago by a dentist and these are doing the trick. So this got me looking at the ingredients nurofen just had ibuprofen where the home brand had ibuprofen and sucrose (sugar) so both tablets had 200mg of ibuprofen in them would the sucrose affect the ibuprofen absorption or is it that the ibuprofen is a better quality in the named brand. And yes I will be stocking up on the Nurofen if they are the only thing that stop toothache

preppingsu · Post by **preppingsu** » Sun Mar 24, 2013 9:42 pm

Sucrose is just the coating around the tablet.

There shouldn't be any difference between the home brand and nurofen, so if it worked better you may have had a duff batch of the home brand or it was all ' in the mind'.....this has come from my OH (nurse of many years and former TA medic).

He's just checking his BNF - which states that there is no difference, nurofen is the sugar free version.

So no clear explanation.
How long between each dose?
He also said maybe the sugar coating slowed down the absorbency ....but can't be sure about that.

Hope that helps.

Maddosammo · Post by **Maddosammo** » Sun Mar 24, 2013 9:57 pm

All medication will be the same. Better o buying the cheap stuff because all of it has to be regulated so will be the same.

And neurofen is a combination. Of paracetamol and ibuprofen. At least that's what I've been told.

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Plymtom · Post by **Plymtom** » Sun Mar 24, 2013 10:06 pm

Here's something for the mix I have a bit of arthritic pain, Ibruprofen usually does help yet on the same day for what felt like the same level of pain same brand, same batch, little or no effect later in the day, so it's not going to be something you can easily determine, it could depend on many things what effect you feel or don't including what you've eaten/drank, strangely paracetamol helped when I tried it the other day, and that usually won't touch that sort of pain.

preppingsu · Post by **preppingsu** » Sun Mar 24, 2013 10:12 pm

Maddosammo wrote:
And neurofen is a combination. Of paracetamol and ibuprofen. At least that's what I've been told.

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No it's not! Nurofen is a brand name of the drug ibuprofen, which is a non steroidal anti inflammatory drug.

Paracetamol is an non opoid analgesic.

They are not combined. They work in different ways for different types of pain.

24942895 · Post by **24942895** » Mon Mar 25, 2013 12:33 am

I use ibuprofen, paracetamol & codeine alot (I manage without any some days, other days I need alot of all of them).
In my personal experience brand names mean nothing.
Capsules seem to make little difference over tablets.
What, how much & how recently I've eaten makes the biggest difference. Empty stomach seems to get the drug into my blood the quickest but may not last as long. After a meal it seems to come on more gradually and last longer (though 'weaker').

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Plymtom · Post by **Plymtom** » Mon Mar 25, 2013 6:29 am

Dont take Ibruprofen frquently on an empty stomach.. it can cause ulcers, my wife and daughter both have to take something else (cant remeber the name) to counter this.

24942895 · Post by **24942895** » Mon Mar 25, 2013 9:08 am

Plymtom wrote:Dont take Ibruprofen frquently on an empty stomach.. it can cause ulcers, my wife and daughter both have to take something else (cant remeber the name) to counter this.

Usually Zantac or something similar to keep the acidity under control a bit. I permanently f***ed my stomach by taking alot of Ibuprofen at full dose every day for a few years.

gadgetguy · Post by **gadgetguy** » Mon Mar 25, 2013 9:47 am

24942895 wrote:
Plymtom wrote:Dont take Ibruprofen frquently on an empty stomach.. it can cause ulcers, my wife and daughter both have to take something else (cant remeber the name) to counter this.
Usually Zantac or something similar to keep the acidity under control a bit. I permanently f***ed my stomach by taking alot of Ibuprofen at full dose every day for a few years.

Slightly off topic but similar!! If you are buying "Zantac" then look at either Tesco or Asdas own brand its the exact same stuff but a third of the price (active ingredient is Ranitidine) Normally £1 for 12 as opposed to to £3+ for either 6 or 12!!!

hope this helps.

junmist · Post by **junmist** » Mon Mar 25, 2013 6:12 pm

Thanks gang differently not in the mind I've been in the outskirts of the medical profession for to long for it to be in my mind

Home brand ibuprofen now working and I have left it of for longer so toothache is going. But I have got to ask what on earth of Zantac

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