Side effects of long-term ibuprofen use — what to expect?

I’ve been taking ibuprofen almost daily for about 8 months now because of chronic back pain that started after a car accident. I take 400mg in the morning and sometimes another dose in the evening if the pain gets worse. Recently I’ve started getting weird stomach cramps and occasional dizziness, and I’m wondering if this could be from the ibuprofen. Has anyone here experienced similar symptoms from long-term use? Should I be concerned?

Yeah, I was in a similar situation last year. I used ibuprofen for several months for arthritis flare-ups and honestly thought it was a miracle at first — worked fast, let me get through my day. But around month 5, I started having constant acid reflux, and my blood pressure crept up too. My doctor said it’s pretty common with long-term NSAID use, especially if you're over 40 or have a sensitive stomach. It turns out that ibuprofen can mess with the stomach lining and kidneys over time, even if you're sticking to regular doses.

There’s a pretty informative write-up I found recently that outlines the risks and explains how NSAIDs like ibuprofen work — might help you figure out what’s going on:
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My advice: talk to a doctor soon and ask about alternatives or whether you should do bloodwork or a kidney check. I ended up switching to short NSAID cycles with breaks in between, plus added physical therapy.

Following this thread with interest. I’ve only used ibuprofen short-term, but I know several people who had gut issues after long-term use. Always good to hear real stories like these.