so, this sounds weird i know, but keep in mind i was 14 and going through a SUPER rough time period. trigger/content warning for suicide

at the time i had absolutely no interest in drugs or getting high, so i wasnt trying to achieve that by any means. i was super depressed at the time, struggling with self-harm and suicidal ideation, as well as really bad insomnia. at this period in my life (between 11-15), i had insane trouble sleeping and no knowledge of anything that could help since i didnt have a phone and limited internet access, and my parents didnt take me seriously. i ended up stealing ibuprofen from my family because it was what i had easiest access to, and taking around 10 200mg tablets a night to help me sleep. somehow, i dont know how, but it would just knock me out (probably because drowsiness is a side effect when overdosing). eventually, i tried to end my life by taking around 15 pills, a mix of what i believe was ibuprofen, tylenol, and tylenol PM. probably the tylenol sleep aid shit is what caused me to feel delirious and i remember laying on the bathroom floor with respiratory depression while my parents were yelling at me to clean.

obviously, this wasnt a big enough overdose to do much, because i somehow functioned through the day and was fine the following (i think, but i dont remember).

after this, i ended up overdosing on 40 ibuprofen (so around 8000 mg) and 4 Dramamine i stole from the car that my parents used to give me for carsickness (idk the mg). i passed out and was hoping to fall asleep and not wake up. well, sadly (at the time, Not anymore) i woke up. i remember how angry i felt and upset i was that it didnt work, especially since i had taken all the ibuprofen left.

as for the effects: i had extremely bad stomach pain for a week. it was nearly unbearable the first few days, and my stepmom took me to see my GP who just said i probably have the flu and to rest up. i was too scared at the time to admit i had attempted to take my life in fear of how angry my family would be.

later on, i ended up confessing my attempt (couple months later) and was in and out of psychiatric hospitals and step-down programs for two months. thankfully, i discovered melatonin supplements while in the hospital, and that helped me for a few years until i didnt need it anymore. ironically, i am now suspected to have narcolepsy and will be having a sleep study done soon but yeah.

as for long term effects: i cant confirm if its actually because of the ibuprofen abuse or not, but i now have pretty bad issues where i burp a lot, probably related to stomach acid, and its usually painful. or i get random nausea. i wouldn't be surprised if my gas issues are related to this, especially since its chronic and started around when i was 15 (im nearly 20 now).

moral of the story: if you are struggling with shit, dont self-medicate with whatever you can get your hands on. see a professional, or stick to natural supplements until you can. really, taking 10 ibuprofen every other night for a couple months and eventually having a massive overdose is not a good way to manage insomnia, and its insanely stupid. but hey, this is r/drugs, i guess we were all a bit stupid at some point here lol