International Ibuprofen Foundation - Uses of Ibuprofen: Cold & Flu

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Ibuprofen for colds and 'flu
Ibuprofen has analgesic and antipyretic activity. It has been shown to reduce symptoms in people with colds, chills and fever and it is an effective treatment for headache, muscular aches and pains and sore throat. In one large study involving 8677 adults, 31% of participants had sore throat, 'flu or a cold; acute treatment with ibuprofen was well tolerated, with tolerability comparable with that of paracetamol and superior to that of aspirin(1).

Symptoms of Common Colds and Influenza
Influenza is a viral infection that causes fever, sore throat, runny nose, cough, headache, backache, general muscle pains, loss of appetite, insomnia and prostration. The symptoms usually start to wear off after about four days. The common cold is also a viral infection; its symptoms are similar to those of influenza but are much less severe and muscle pains are less common.

Reference
1. Moore N et al. The PAIN study: paracetamol, aspirin and ibuprofen new tolerability study. A large-scale, randomised clinical trial comparing the tolerability of aspirin, ibuprofen and paracetamol for short-term analgesia. Clin Drug Invest 1999;18:89-98