BUFFERIN in Japan: DX Quick+, Premium, A or Luna i?

Planning to drive? Rule out Premium, whose label prohibits driving after a dose. Then compare ingredients and dose intervals, rather than treating DX, Premium and A as a simple strength ranking.

I’m Irene, a Taiwan-born, Japan-licensed pharmacist working in a Japanese drugstore. Similar BUFFERIN boxes can contain different medicines, with different daily limits. Start with who will take it, what they have already taken and whether they need to drive.

Product information checked: 11 October 2026 · Japanese-market versions.

This guide compares four Japanese products for ages 15 and over. If you are receiving treatment, pregnant, breastfeeding or have a history of medicine allergies, check the precautions below with a pharmacist before choosing.

Four differences to know first

For a headache or fever, if you want a fast-acting formula without a sedative ingredient: start by considering DX Quick+, after checking its treatment-related restrictions.
To compare another fast-acting combination, when you will not need to drive: consider Premium. It includes a sedating adjunct; driving and operating machinery after a dose are prohibited.
If avoiding caffeine matters: A is the caffeine-free option among these four. It contains aspirin, so check your medical history and allow at least six hours between doses.
For period pain or a headache, if small tablets and no sedative ingredient matter: consider Luna i. It is also available to men who meet its label conditions.

All four are labelled for headaches, period pain and other listed pains, as well as fever. Period pain does not automatically mean Luna i, nor does a headache automatically mean DX. Your medicines and medical history matter more.

Ingredients compared: one dose means two tablets

Acetaminophen is also called paracetamol.

Product

Premium DX Quick+

Pain and fever ingredients per two-tablet dose: Ibuprofen 160 mg + acetaminophen 160 mg
Other active ingredients per dose: Anhydrous caffeine 50 mg; dried aluminium hydroxide gel 70 mg

Premium

Pain and fever ingredients per two-tablet dose: Ibuprofen 130 mg + acetaminophen 130 mg
Other active ingredients per dose: Anhydrous caffeine 80 mg; allylisopropylacetylurea 60 mg, a sedating adjunct; dried aluminium hydroxide gel 70 mg

A

Japanese Bufferin A 40-tablet carton and blister strip — Photo / copyright: Lion; source: official product information.

Pain and fever ingredients per two-tablet dose: Aspirin 660 mg
Other active ingredients per dose: Synthetic hydrotalcite 200 mg

Luna i

Pain and fever ingredients per two-tablet dose: Ibuprofen 130 mg + acetaminophen 130 mg
Other active ingredients per dose: Anhydrous caffeine 80 mg; dried aluminium hydroxide gel 70 mg

The first column of ingredients treats pain and fever; caffeine helps the pain-relieving effect. Aluminium hydroxide gel and hydrotalcite are included to reduce stomach burden. They do not eliminate the risk of ulcers or gastrointestinal bleeding.

Milligram amounts of different medicines cannot establish a strength ranking. Premium is not simply a lower-dose DX: it also contains a sedating ingredient.

No sedative ingredients does not guarantee no drowsiness

DX Quick+, A and Luna i omit Premium’s sedative ingredient. That does not establish that everyone can safely drive. DX specifically lists drowsiness as a possible side effect. If you become dizzy or drowsy, do not drive; stop taking it and seek advice.

Premium’s instruction is stricter: do not drive or operate machinery after taking it, even if you do not feel sleepy.

Match the full Japanese name

Premium DX Quick+: バファリンプレミアムDXクイック⁺
Premium: バファリンプレミアム
A: バファリンA
Luna i: バファリンルナi

Check the name before choosing a pack size. BUFFERIN products sold elsewhere may have different formulas and directions.

If your shopping list says Premium DX, Lion began changing its name to DX Quick+ in July 2025. The manufacturer states that the active ingredients and labelled effects are unchanged. Check expiry and the enclosed leaflet. Premium without “DX” is a different product.

How to take them: the intervals differ

For all four, the dose is two tablets for ages 15 and over. Remove the tablets from the blister packaging and swallow with water or lukewarm water, avoiding an empty stomach where possible. Never swallow the packaging.

Product

Premium DX Quick+

Minimum interval: Four hours
Daily limit: Normally up to two doses; a third only if symptoms return

Premium

Minimum interval: Four hours
Daily limit: Up to three doses

A

Minimum interval: Six hours
Daily limit: Up to two doses

Luna i

Minimum interval: Four hours
Daily limit: Up to three doses

These are limits, not a schedule you must complete. Do not take an early extra dose, use continuously for a prolonged period, or drink alcohol before or after taking any of them.

Irene’s tip: record the time on your phone. A’s six-hour interval is particularly easy to confuse with the other products’ four hours.

Check the restrictions before buying

Do not take any of these four if…

You are under 15, within 12 weeks of your expected delivery date, have previously had an allergic reaction to that product or its ingredients, or have had asthma triggered by a pain/fever medicine or cold medicine.

While taking any of the four, do not also take another pain/fever medicine, cold medicine or sedative. Premium additionally prohibits motion-sickness medicines. Include medicines bought at home when checking, not just Japanese brands.

DX Quick+ has additional treatment-related restrictions

Do not take DX Quick+ if you are receiving medical treatment for a stomach/duodenal ulcer, blood disorder, liver disease, kidney disease, heart disease or high blood pressure, or are taking zidovudine. These are do-not-use conditions, not merely a suggestion to ask first. Switching to another box yourself does not resolve the issue.

Ask before use

For all four, seek advice first if you are receiving medical or dental treatment, pregnant or possibly pregnant, breastfeeding, older, or have had medicine allergies. Disease-related consultation criteria differ:

DX Quick+: diagnosis or history of the conditions above, bronchial asthma, lupus, mixed connective tissue disease, ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease. Its treatment-related do-not-use rules still take priority.
Premium and Luna i: diagnosed heart, kidney or liver disease, lupus or mixed connective tissue disease; a history of stomach/duodenal ulcer, ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.
A: diagnosed heart, kidney or liver disease, or stomach/duodenal ulcer.

Show the pharmacist your medicine list, supplements and pack photos. This is more useful than saying only that you have taken “a painkiller”.

When to stop and seek advice

Stop and consult a doctor, dentist or pharmacist with the leaflet if symptoms have not improved after:

DX Quick+: three to four doses.
Premium, A or Luna i: five to six doses.

These are doses, not days. If a side effect occurs earlier, do not wait for that number.

Stop and seek advice for reactions such as rash, itching, stomach discomfort, unusual bleeding or dizziness. Get urgent medical attention for difficulty breathing, impaired consciousness, pressure-like chest pain, vomiting blood or black stools, sudden one-sided weakness, or warning signs of a serious skin reaction such as high fever, widespread rash, red eyes or sore/eroded lips. Do not wait for every symptom to appear together.

Some additional stop-and-consult instructions differ: constipation or dry mouth with DX; constipation or drowsiness with Premium; constipation with Luna i, if persistent or worsening. With DX, if your temperature drops below normal, you feel unusually weak, or your hands or feet become cold after taking it, stop immediately, keep warm and seek professional advice with the leaflet. Abnormally low temperature after the other products also calls for stopping and seeking advice.

Three practical questions

Can I add BUFFERIN after EVE, paracetamol or a cold medicine?

Do not add it yourself. Ingredients may overlap, and the combination restrictions still apply even when the ingredients differ. Tell a pharmacist the exact product, dose and time taken. The intervals above are for repeating the same product, not permission to switch freely between medicines.

Does a stomach-protecting ingredient make empty-stomach use fine?

No. All four say to avoid an empty stomach where possible. Having some food first fits that advice. If vomiting or illness prevents eating, seek medical advice rather than forcing a dose down.

Is Luna J the same as Luna i?

No. Luna J (バファリンルナJ) is a caffeine-free chewable with acetaminophen as its sole active ingredient. Do not apply this article’s two-tablet dose to it. If you want a formulation that does not need water, check age, dose and restrictions in Lion’s Luna J directions or with a pharmacist; a single ingredient does not suit everyone. For a child, see our children’s fever-medicine formulation guide rather than using an adult dose.

Before you pay

Check the full name, medicines already taken, and the correct interval. Exclude Premium if you need to drive; the other choices still need your own medical and medication check. Keep the box and leaflet. Store in a cool, dry place out of children’s reach, keep the original container and do not use expired tablets.

Have a 40-tablet pack of A? Check the packaging

Lion’s 2026 recall notice concerns BUFFERIN A 40 tablets, lot 507Y1, with torn aluminium on the back of the blister sheet. Other pack sizes and other BUFFERIN products are outside this recall. Do not take an affected product; follow the manufacturer’s recall notice for contact details. The online registration form has closed. The notice states that no related health harm had been reported at the time of the announcement.

Manufacturer sources

This guide supports shopping and label understanding; it does not replace individual medical advice or the complete leaflet supplied with your medicine.