The combination of ibuprofen and acetaminophen has been shown to work better than either drug alone. These pain relievers are very inexpensive and can be bought over the counter “OTC” in any pharmacy and in many supermarkets.
Ibuprofen: (Advil®, Motrin®): maximum adult daily dose = 2400 mg
OTC generic ibuprofen is sold as either tablets or capsules of 200mg
Acetaminophen: (Tylenol®): maximum adult daily dose = 4,000 mg. Acetaminophen is sold OTC in multiple dosage sizes of 325mg, 500mg and 1,000 mg. For convenience, get the 500mg tablets.
Dosage:
When you begin to feel pain, begin a combination of the following and repeat every 4 hours as needed while you are awake:
Ibuprofen 200mg: take 2
Acetaminophen 500mg: take 1
Take your last dose before you go to bed. You do not need to be awakened during the night to take this medicine if you are sleeping well. You can take a maximum of 6 doses of this combination every 24 hours.
If you need to take your prescribed narcotic pain medication in addition to the above, the small amount of acetaminophen contained in the narcotic pain medications will not be a problem.
If Your Jaw Is Wired or Banded Together:
- Place two 200mg ibuprofen + one 500mg acetaminophen tablets in a small glass
- Add hot tap water
- Wait about one minute for the tablets to dissolve and mix with a spoon (the ibuprofen tablets dissolve much faster than the gel caps)
- Drink it down after it cools. You may mix this in to a flavored liquid if you prefer
