Ibuprofen can cause side effects in rare cases. Most children will not have any side effects.

To reduce the chance of side effects, give your child the lowest dose for the shortest time to control their symptoms.

Serious side effects

It happens rarely, but some children may have a serious side effect from ibuprofen.

Call 111 or speak to a doctor straight away if your child:

gets severe stomach pains, vomits blood, or their poo is very dark or black – these may be signs of a stomach ulcer
stops peeing or there's blood in their pee – there may be a problem with their kidneys
hears ringing in their ears
has asthma that seems to be getting worse

In rare cases, it's possible for your child to have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to ibuprofen.

your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly become swollen
you're breathing very fast or struggling to breathe (you may become very wheezy or feel like you're choking or gasping for air)
your throat feels tight or you're struggling to swallow
your skin, tongue or lips turn blue, grey or pale (if you have black or brown skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet)
you suddenly become very confused, drowsy or dizzy
someone faints and cannot be woken up
a child is limp, floppy or not responding like they normally do (their head may fall to the side, backwards or forwards, or they may find it difficult to lift their head or focus on your face)

You or the person who's unwell may also have a rash that's swollen, raised, itchy, blistered or peeling.

These can be signs of a serious allergic reaction and may need immediate treatment in hospital.

Do not drive yourself to A&E.

The person you speak to at 999 will give you advice about what to do.

Other side effects

These are not all the side effects of ibuprofen for children. For a full list see the leaflet inside your medicines packet.

You can report any suspected side effect using the Yellow Card safety scheme.