WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) – From headaches to sore muscles, pain relievers like Tylenol and Ibuprofen are something you can usually find in anyone’s medicine cabinet.
After President Trump recently claimed a connection between the use of Tylenol and autism, some may be wondering which over-the-counter drug they should be using.
There are two classes of medications that alleviate pain. Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs or NSAIDs, like ibuprofen, and Acetaminophen, like Tylenol.
“Both go over the counter, and I think people can mix up about; they think they’re equally effective,” said Dr. Alaa Abd-Elsayed, UW Health’s Pain Management Clinic’s medical director.
When you’re taking a stroll down the medicine aisle at the grocery store, NSAIDs and Acetaminophen are two things that may jump out at you. These pain relievers have many uses, but do you know which one you should be taking?
“If patients know they have an inflammatory condition, arthritis, probably patients know they have arthritis. I’ll go more for NSAIDs, assuming no contraindications,” Dr. Abd-Elsayed said. “If they have just general pain, headache, I will recommend going again, if no contraindication to the acetaminophen products, in low doses.”
He says it’s important to know the appropriate doses and side effects for these medications.
For people using NSAIDs, there’s a risk of getting gastric ulcers, increased bleeding, renal failure, and a negative impact on the heart.
“When we come to acetaminophen, the biggest one is liver failure and damage, and have took care of patients who had complete liver failure because of using, for example, acetaminophen over the counter,” said Dr. Abd-Elsayed.
He says pain tells us something is happening in the body. Sometimes it’s good to avoid taking over-the-counter medications because they could cause you to miss something dangerous. Instead, he encourages people to explore why they have the pain if it continues.
“It is bad that we feel pain, but it’s a warning sign that people get diagnosed with cancer, headache conditions, all kinds of diseases. So, pain is a blessing,” said Dr. Abd-Elsayed.
He also advises not giving children the same pain relief you would give an adult. Instead, it’s best to check the bottle for age restrictions and use an age-appropriate remedy.
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