Section 3 Ibuprofen in the treatment of rheumatic diseases : long-term experience with observations on lack of adverse effects

SummaryA review of the clinical responses and side-effects encountered in an ‘open’ series of 293 consecutive patients suffering from rheumatic disorders and treated with ibuprofen during a 5-year period is presented. With the exception of 23 patients for whom it was a primary prescription, the patients were given ibuprofen because of either lack of effect or intolerance - chiefly gastro-intestinal - with other analgesic anti-inflammatory drugs. Low doses of 300 mg. to 600mg. daily were used in the early years of this study, but with increased confidence in the safety and efficacy of the drug, dosage was increased to 1200 mg. or more daily. The clinical response was rated as good or very good in this selected ‘hard-to-treat’ group, and 74 % of the patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis considered it to be superior to previous medication and better tolerated. In those patients suffering from osteoarthrosis, 74.8 % claimed a better response from ibuprofen than from previous medication. In the rheumato...