Ibuprofen dosage chart by weight

I don’t take ibuprofen, probably because paracetamol is good enough and works for all my fever and headaches. Ibuprofen belongs to the same class of drugs as aspirin, mefenamic acid, naproxen sodium and diclofenac – they are NSAIDS (pronounced as 'and-saids') – non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Since inflammation results in pain and/or fever, thus these drugs treat pain and fever by reducing inflammation. They are the second choice if paracetamol does not work well probably because these drugs may cause gastric discomfort (though newer generation NSAIDS have lesser risk of this). That’s why it is usually recommended to take after food or together with antacids.

My mom is allergic to paracetamol thus she takes mefenamic acid for all her fever and pain. My husband is allergic to diclofenac and avoids this but he had used diclofenac cream before (unknowingly once) and showed no signs of allergy.

I give my children ibuprofen syrup when their fever is not well controlled i.e. fever comes back before the next dose (6 hours later) or high fever (temperature more than 39°C. I am guilty of sometimes giving ibuprofen to my children because they refuse to take Paracetamol, the strawberry flavoured syrup is too bitter, they like the ‘orange colour’ ibuprofen syrup. The alternating ibuprofen-paracetamol dosing every 4 hourly is also a good way to control fever, this has been reported in a clinical trial¹ to be better than using either on its own.

There is a note of caution for ibuprofen - Do not use in infants less than 1 year old, unless advised by your doctor.

The oral dosage for fever is 5 to 10 mg/kg body weight. To be taken every 6 to 8 hours, not more than 4 doses a day. Like my earlier post on paracetamol dosage by weight, I too have a chart for ibuprofen dosage by weight.

If you’d wish to use this chart, here is a step-by-step guide.

1. Weigh your child, measurement should be in kilograms (kg). To convert from Pounds (lb), divide by 2.2.
2. Check the strength of your Ibuprofen syrup. Some clinic assistants do not label the strength, always ask. This syrup is most commonly available in the 100mg/5mL strength
3. Refer to the chart for the corresponding volume. You may give an amount between the lower and upper limit.
4. Shake the bottle to disperse the liquid and draw the correct volume using a syringe.

Common trade names for Ibuprofen are Brufen, Advil, Nurofen. If there are more, please leave a comment.

Reference

1. Paracetamol and ibuprofen for the treatment of fever in children: the PITCH randomised controlled trial. Health Technol Assess. 2009 May;13(27):iii-iv, ix-x, 1-163.