I always have 400mg tablets at home, but my mom says the 600mg ones work way better. Is that actually true or is it just in her head? And can you just take them like that or should you be careful about it?
The higher dose really does work stronger - 600mg ibuprofen measurably beats the 400mg when it comes to pain relief, especially if the headache is more severe. That's not just your mother's imagination, the difference is real, even if it might not be dramatically huge. But here's the important question: how often do you take the 400mg and doesn't a single tablet help you properly? If the 400mg relieves you enough, you don't need to go higher.
With dosing though, don't just take whatever. The 600mg tablets are available over the counter at the pharmacy, but there are limits - no more than 3 to 4 tablets a day, and not for longer than a couple of days in a row without talking to a doctor. Ibuprofen takes a toll on your stomach and kidneys over time, so especially if you get frequent headaches, it's better to check with the pharmacist about what makes sense. If the 400mg sometimes isn't enough, you could also try taking it earlier - right when you first feel it - that often works better than waiting until the pain really kicks in.
More important than the dose is that you don't take ibuprofen on an empty stomach - that's way harder on your stomach and the effect won't be as good. So if you take your 400mg with a bit of food, it often works better than 600mg without food. It's true that 600mg can be stronger in general, but most headaches go away with 400 - try it first and take it with something small to eat. If 400 regularly doesn't cut it, I'd check with a doctor first about whether 600 is okay for you, especially if you need it more often.
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