Sometimes pain management is a balancing act between dangerous side effects and misery that makes it hard to want to keep living. Chronic pain isn't really something a third party can make decisions about; it may be that ibuprofen isn't the right choice, but lots of other choices (opiates, for instance) may have even more negative effects (like addiction and risk of deadly overdose).

Of course, there are folks who take over-the-counter meds as though it is safe at any dose and frequency. That might warrant a nudge toward reading the label about safe dosage, or a mention of a recent study on the subject.