For under-17s, read our information on ibuprofen for children. Key facts. Ibuprofen works by reducing hormones that cause pain and swelling in the body. It takes 20 to 30 minutes to work if you take it by mouth, and 1 to 2 days to work if you put it on your skin. Ibuprofen is typically used for period pain or toothache.
In short, no. "People don't think of over-the-counter medicine as being medicine at all," says internist Janet Morgan, MD, "but it absolutely is medicine, and like anything else, it's
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