Nurofen Plus is one of the strongest painkillers available over the counter in the UK for individuals over the age of 12 years old for short term acute or moderate pain relief. It contains two active ingredients which are ibuprofen and codeine. Each tablet contains 200mg of Ibuprofen(which is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, also known as an NSAID) and 12.8mg of Codeine(an opioid). Nurofen Plus is used for short-term relief of moderate pain which has not responded to non-codeine based painkillers such as Paracetamol, Ibuprofen or Aspirin being used alone.
As Nurofen Plus contains Codeine, it should not be used for more than 3 days consecutively. If your pain is not responsive to this medication, you should stop using this item and speak to your GP.
As with any medication, there are risks of side effects when taking Nurofen Plus. You should always read the patient information leaflet when taking a new medicine to make sure you’re aware of side effects and cautions.
Stop taking Nurofen Plus and immediately seek medical attention if you experience any of the following:
Intestinal bleeding signs (for example red/bright faeces, tarry/black faeces, vomiting blood/coffee ground-like particles)
Signs of an allergic reaction (for example severe skin reactions, flaking/peeling/blistering skin, swelling of the face, wheezing which is unexplained/feeling short of breath, bruising easily)
DRESS syndrome, which is a severe skin reaction (the symptoms are: fever, rash on the skin, swelling of lymph nodes, increased white blood cell count)
Social History