Liquid Ibufrofen Application: How Safe Is This?

Factual Questions
1

So I had some painful dental work done this week (Monday). My gums along my lower left jawline are swollen and very sore. My dentist saw me again on Thursday and recommended that I take 600 mg. ibufrofen every 6 hrs. I hate ibufrofen. It always upsets my stomach. But, every time I eat something (even consciously chewing only on my right side), my gums are left screaming in pain. So, I took a couple of liquid ibufrofen capsules, cut off the ends, and mixed the liquid with some pure aloe vera gel (from my plant). I swabbed it on my gums, and it really seems to help. But, I don’t want to continue this practice without being sure that it’s safe. Any ideas? Is there any this could be hazardous to my health?

p.s. if it turns out this is safe, how can I find out if my idea has been previously patended or not?

2

I’m not a doctor, or a drug specialist, but it appears that ibuprofen isn’t a topical anesthetic, but it actually has to go through your blood stream to work. The relieving affects you felt were probably either due to the aloe gel, or a placebo effect, or a combination of both.

Are you taking it on an empty stomach? If not, definitely eat something with it. If so, try taking it with a glass of milk as well.

3

Not sure about dental applications, but the word over in this current thread is that ibuprofen’s not terribly effective when used topically, and you’re more often than not better off simply swallowing it as a pill.

4

I would agree that ibuprofen probably isn’t too effective applied topically. However, due to the dental work done, my gums have been bleeding on and off, and I was guessing that perhaps that’d helped the drug enter my bloodstream. And, I know it’s not a placebo effect. I didn’t think it would work from the start but’d tried everything else I could think of. It definitely made my gums sort of numb. And later when I got a bit on my lip, it went numb too. Anyways, any guess on the safety factor?

5

I guess I’d tell one of my patients that if taking 600 mg 4 times a day is safe (and it is for most folks), then rubbing 600 mg on yourself 4 times a day is probably is safe too.

YMMV

6

I tape aspirin to my forehead when I have a headache! :rolleyes: