cannibalthemusical
48187
817
29
Feb 5, 2025 9:09 PM
cannibalthemusical
48187
817
29
anitabieror6
i asked someone at work for ibuprofen today and she offered tylenol and i had to tell her i save my liver for alcohol lol
RegionofThud
"I just put a little of this CBD oil that my friend Mildred makes in my tea every morning for the pain" : Come not between the Dragon and his wrath.
dashers
Paracetamol first. Add ibuprofen later if that doesn't do it. Can take both if this are really bad. Make sure you're off paracetamol before hitting cocodamol as it's included and you can od.
FellaWithUmbrella
Aspirin™ - From Bayer, makers of Heroin™
nightripper
Fun fact: Bayer knowingly sold HIV contaminated medicine. No. Really. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1151015/
dangerspouse
Sullivanish
I just jump straight to Excedrin. If it can't be fixed by tylenol, aspirin or caffeine, I probably need a prescription to fix it.
crysalitt
Same , it seems like the only otc that does anything for me
mephiston
I'm routinely prescribed paracetamol+codeine+doxylamine. Works great, but the hangovers suck.
Vebrandsson
There are dozens of us.gif
Artebudz
Due to allergies or low level stuff not working, i spent a good chunk of my teen years on opioids.
Didn't want to develop tolerance so early, so I now only take painkillers if im in too much pain to function and I need to get something done right away.
Chronic pain and loose joints prone to dislocations = constant pain. Only taken painkillers once this month
youreathing
They all have work through different mechanisms, and they're not interchangeable.
FluffyFairyFeet
Ibuprofen, naproxen and aspirin work through the same mechanism. They are all COX 1 and 2 inhibitors. Aspirin has a longer antiplatelet (blood thinning) effect though. The first 2 are more or less interchangeable.
youreathing
I would disagree on the interchangeability of those 2 because they cause damage to different organs if abused.
FluffyFairyFeet
They are both NSAIDs and have very similar side effects. Naproxen is slightly more COX1 selective causing slightly higher risk of bleeding (GI) while ibuprofen is slightly more COX2 selective and therefore have a slightly higher risk of cardiovascular side effects. The difference in nephrotoxicity is slightly in favour of ibuprofen. The difference in risk is so minute that if a patient is at risk for GI bleeding, cardiovascular events or renal failure NSAID should probably be completely avoided
FluffyFairyFeet
For people with low risk, they are interchangable
Keithbob76
Ibuprofen will wreck your kidneys.... Tylenol will wreck your liver
ToSisPoS
Perc and whiskey, probably a professional ballerina.
cannibalthemusical
Claire Evans has entered the chat
SacrificialClam
Pshhh I call it Naproxen like a TRUE goth
Leitzout2
I grew up getting know pain, to the point where when I was a teenager, we were close friends.
CaldariBob
Eventually, you'll all be on ibuprofen. Every last one of ya! Mua-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Oban
Not when my kidneys don't function. I have to trade off between ibuprofen and Tylenol, because I have bad kidneys and a bad liver. Was using weed, but I can't afford it.
funone77
Aspirin is the shit if you can handle NSAIDS.
"What do you think is the most abused drug?
Aspirin. you know why? cuz it works. It does everything-headaches, arthritis...
I think on the bottle of aspirin they just put what Aspirin won't do.
'Aspirin will not bring a hooker back to life.' "
- Dave Attell
Yesitisathing
Guess I need to snag some aspirin. I generally don’t take OTC meds and I’m not a fan of opioids. Recently I had surgery so I bought some advil to deal with the pain. That’s how I found out I’m allergic to ibuprofen. It’s been an interesting few weeks.
pillagebeforeyouburn
Asprin is also an NSAID, like advil, so you may also be allergic to aspirin.
KeysKittell
I realllllyyy wouldn't take aspirin as a painkiller, it's best used as a bloodthinner, specifically anti-platelet, and an irreversible one at that, ~5 days.
chefsoda
I would believe Dave Attell regarding how to try to revive dead hookers.
Brhino
Weed and alcohol? Or, wait... that's for my emotional pain. You were probably talking about something else.
spookyactionatadistance
I used heroin AM, and heroin PM, and heroin 24/7
FaecalJacksonPollock
Ibuprofen is the go-to, but when it comes to back pain, diclofenac is the GOAT.
nonottelling
Oh yes, whenever my back goes (rarely thank fuck), diclofenac will do it mostly. Might need an ibuprofen as well to just knock the pain out, but yeah. It works!
OldManXan
caring about other people's choice of otc pain reliever is something i can't imagine wasting my time on.
Aeithen
Yet, here you are.
OldManXan
i'm here caring about not caring about other people's otc pain reliever preferences, i'm not here caring about other people's pain reliever preferences. if you can't see the difference, i don't care.
EternallyIgnorant
MrAitch2U
In Scotland,you can buy paracetamol with codeine in it over the counter. Just sayin'.
Raventhief
Masturbation.
meganical
Yeah, I’m sure that does great, especially for genital pain, which I guess men don’t really have to deal with and live like gods while taking everything for granted
walnutbreath
I'm from a Tylenol family, but Aleve is the only one that helps with headaches for me.
CyrilConnolly
What about a person who has two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a salt shaker half full of cocaine, and a whole galaxy of multi-coloured uppers, downers, screamers, laughers… and also a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of Budweiser, a pint of raw ether, and two dozen amyls?
RooGryphon
what about em, id ask how can you not have shrooms.... then ask how much for the blotter sheets
Aeonika
mephiston
They can't stop here, because it's bat country.
MagmaCarta
I only use two medicines. Neosporin for external wounds, whiskey for internal wounds.
fedro88
Both of you will need a lot of medicine to treat wounds inflicted by this whiskey medicine. Might also one day become Homer Simpson - yellow.
dirtybad
And every external wound requires internal treatment, so I always keep whiskey on hand
youreathing
I use Polysporin. I'm not nailing myself down to a single sporin. Life's too short.
ClessAurion
You guys... take pills so often this is a thing? For a sec I thought "maybe I'm too young?" But I'm 34, so I'm a certified mummy at this point
EmporerDragon
At that age, most people have both an "at home" bottle and an "on the road" bottle for your glove compartment/coat pocket/purse.
ClessAurion
This sounds quite foreign to me.... Is it an American thing maybe?
EmporerDragon
No, most folks just eventually hit a point, usually in the mid thirties (might be a little later for countries with affordable health care), where the body just hurts more and the pain lasts longer. And the main solutions are either a diet/exercise regimen to keep the body in top shape, or pop a couple OTC pills whenever it gets too annoying to ignore.
ClessAurion
Gotcha! I don't mingle much with people over 35, so that would make sense me not having much experience with! Thanks for the info!
uhunuhtrgynu
I'll provide one small datapoint in another direction. I'm 51 I do not take regular painkillers like, at all. Maybe once in the last 6 months.
BIC777
Vitamin I
JAPONfan
Well, because my mother thought that pain is good and it make you a better man I didn't get/took many painkillers and if ever it was aspirin. So a) I only take it because I'm still reacting to it very good b) using shit like Ketoprofen is too good(?) for me. Like I took one when they removed my teeth but only because they gave it to me not because I felt the need to use it.
UWAGAGABLAGABLAGABA
Someone doesn't know about BC powder. My great grandma used to down several of those a day. She fell and broke her hip and didn't tell anybody, and she was just dealing with it through the power of BC.
MediaBlitz
There it is. The only things that work on my migraines and hangovers are BC powder and Goody's.
DidItForScience
Never even heard of it.
swedeonamoose
To me as a swede it seems weird to say you are a tylenol or ibuprofen person, we would just mention the brand we use.
4vie
Alvedon or Ipren, right?
swedeonamoose
Panodil mofo :O
4vie
Ah. The pain meds of the pöbel. :P
Santorrr
But.. that's exactly what the yanks do. With everything, to an annoying degree.
PuckerScream
There's a bit of mix and match in that list above. The 2 middle ones are brands (acetaminophen and naproxen, respectively). Brands are generally used, but for things like ibuprofen, we typically say ibuprofen simply because there are so many brands of it. So if you ask for an ibuprofen, you skip the whole "I don't have Advil, but I have Motrin" type discussion. Aleve is the most prevalent naproxen brand here, so just as for that. Same with Tylenol/acetaminophen.
Telemapus
Don't forget that in Australia and some other places you need to ask for paracetamol because we don't see the minnow fin.
cousteau
Isn't Tylenol a brand? We just call it paracetamol over here.
jnmjnmjnm
Yes; but in North America the generic name is acetaminophen.
Whatdoyousaytoanicecupoftea
Do you see a minnows fin?
jnmjnmjnm
I boo. Pro-fin!
mephiston
paracetamol and acetaminophen are derived from the chemical name "N-acetyl-para-aminophenol"
cousteau
This is how I shall call it from now on.
UnicornDilemma
I'm gonna say this from now on.
ImAWeirdMom
Aspirin is someone who thinks they may be having a heart attack.
Santorrr
Yeah, please don't use aspirin for headaches.
badmedic504
And headaches.
DukatNaranek
Recovering from and preventing strokes as well.
Hrafna55
Or is about to go on a flight.
FlatPlutoSociety
It's a politician-approved birth control method.
BonafideHomicide
It wouldn't work fir me, I like it from the back...
FlatPlutoSociety
Getting railed from behind will be illegal by 2026. :(
ImAWeirdMom
I absolutely hate that I know what you're talking about.
ThatDudeInTheMitten
I feel like aspirin is good for headaches and what you mentioned... That's about it IMO...
PantLord
It’s also good for unblocking toilets.
BenWyattCalzoneKingandIceTownClown
Caffine is the best for headaches. Usually a headache is caused by cerebral vasodilation. Caffine helps constrict them back down. Super effective thats why a lot of migraine medicine has caffeine
valen00
caffeine increases the effectiveness of many OTC pain reliever medications. To the point paracetamol + caffeine tablets exist.
mrpink83
I have a nephew who actually NEEDS caffeine for his brain to work. It's complicated.
mrpink83
A cup of coffee is equal to a "hello"
valen00
He *may* have ADHD or totally not depending on flavor. Many ADHD people self medicate with caffeine, for many of us though a normal amount of it puts us to sleep.
mrpink83
my sister knows everything about it. "I'm lying"
mrpink83
They're fine
jj999124
Yeah and the headaches from caffeine withdrawal are killer when your on a self destructive path drinking 200mg energy drinks at least once a day.
PandaWaffleking
200mg a day. Yeesh I aught cut back further.
Day 2 no caffeine is asking for a split headache with a straight seam down the skull. I can pinpoint exactly where. I uhh I rode the nationally recommended maximum daily dosage and than some for far top many years.
It's a wonder I don't bleed redbull infused mtn dew. :c
Kehy
some of us with circadian rhythm disorders are only allowed to live in a world that wants us working when we really might need to be sleeping. Shift work sleep disorder is a nightmare
SealandIsARealCountry
My soul craves a 30ish hour wake/sleep cycle. My bills demand I'm awake for approx 10 hours every weekday starting at 6
dffksh
Yup. 2-2-2-4 off. Could not take it any more. Really messed me up and it took almost a year to get my sleeping pattern back to somewhat normal.
Chattafaukup
My mother who was in the medical field for a about 25 years always asks exactly what the pain is before giving me meds. I cant remember which is which but some are better for headaches and some are better for swelling and joints and some are better for sore throat etc etc etc. They all handle pain but in different ways so are more effective to different things is how she explained it.
BEARD3DBEANIEE
Tylenol headaches, ibuprofen for swelling
TinyBadger101
Tylenol is good for headaches, ibuprofen for muscle aches and period cramps.
airen
Ibuprofen for seelling
cheesedogs
You generally shouldn't treat undiagnosed pain. Like, if my stomach hurts and I take ibuprofen I might have unwittingly worsened a stomach ulcer
cheesedogs
That being said most routine aches and pains aren't so insidious
WhatTheFrench
I can’t imagine taking a pain reliever for stomach pain. Do people do that?
doggetofftheqcekmty
Tylenol for headaches, ibuprofen for everything else.
TheMayorOfTittyCity
Ibuprofen (and NSAIDS in general) have actually pretty consistently been shown in RTCs to be better for most headach types than Tylenol, and basically the same for the others. Its also better for fever and msk pain. In my patient population, if you are a baby under 6 months, have high bleeding risk or kidney disease you get tylenol, everyone else gets ibuprofen for everything.
whatdoyoumeanicanttakemysweateroff
Tylenol for fever, ibuprofen for everything else
TheMayorOfTittyCity
Ibuprofen is better for fevers, as it is for headaches and inflammatory pain and basically everything as demonstrated by tons or randomized controlled trials. Some people cant take it (young babies, kidney disease, blood thinners), so Tylenol is an alternative.
TanithRosenbaum
Could you ask her and post that here? That would be genuinely interesting and useful to know.
TheMayorOfTittyCity
I'm an ER doc. Tylenol is for babies <6mo, those with kidney disease, stomach ulcers, and patients with bleeding risk. NSAIDS (ibuprofen, naproxen, etc) for everyone else. They work the same or better for everything (fever, headaches, msk pain). Tylenol is also far more toxic and responsible for many more clinically significant overdoses. Aspirin for anticlotting effect only, but better meds are available.
Chattafaukup
Plenty of people have responded to my post with the correct answers already : )
TanithRosenbaum
Ahh alright, thank you
foreverinchains
Ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve) are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs. They can relieve pain by reducing the swelling and inflammation causing the pain, but they don't do anything at all to block the sensation of pain.
Acetylsalicylic acid (Asprin) and acetaminophen (Tylenol) are analgesics. They block your ability to feel pain, but don't do anything about the cause of the pain.
lsnasty
Tylenol is not a pain reliever. Good for breaking fevers though.
TheMayorOfTittyCity
Tylenol and NSAIDS are both analgesics (pain relievers) and antipyretics (fever reducers). Ibuprofen is also an anti-inflammatory. Ibuprofen generally works better for everything (pain, headaches, fever). Tylenol is for babies and people who cant take NSAIDS, or as an addition to an NSAID.
Chattafaukup
Lakih
My go to is Asprin for head, Ibuprofen for body. Unless injured, then I follow instructions by medical staff...
MotionOfTheOcean
The anti-inflammatory ones are better for period pains too
TychoTychoAlba
And neither work for phantom pain, which requires something like an opioid, because the brain isn't even getting an external pain signal.
maplepancakes
also you can't take NSAIDS while on blood thinners, so anyone on blood thinners has to go with tylenol.
mineoc
Fun fact: the German name for acetylsalicylic acid or ASA (aka Aspirin) is Acetylsalicylsäure or ASS.
M2500
that is a fun fact. thanks
ballsoutflyer
Have you had your dosage of ASS today?
Dazzledent
Yes, and I didn’t even ask for it
foreverinchains
It's generally safe to take both, as long as you aren't exceeding the recommended dosage of either. You should always be careful when mixing medications because they can interact in unexpected ways.
Generally, you can take an analgesic with an NSAID, but you shouldn't take multiples of either at the same time.
IWasGoingToMakeEspresso
Also, the side effects and complications are also different. From what I understand, ibuprofen can lead to vascular events for sensitive people, while naproxen is more likely to cause gastrointestinal GI side effects.
CarpetheCarp
I alternate when my kids have fevers. Every four hours. Helps them get through the rough patch and on the mend. Luckily they’re incredibly healthy. Also fully vaccinated.
JinxRocks
This is why I use Advil Dual. Its both ibuprofen and acetaminophen. And it works well for me for both my arthritis pain and headaches.
BarryTheCyborg
Yeah, last couple minor surgeries I've had, they told me to alternate ibuprofen and Tylenol instead of painkillers, which worked pretty well. Aspirin is usually avoided, because it thins the blood
HighSorcerer
Seriously guys read the label and find out what you're taking. Aleve and ibuprofen are basically the same damn thing so don't take them together.
foreverinchains
A standard dose of ibuprofen lasts for about 4 hours, while naproxen can last for 12.
nelsie020
Yeah my postpartum medicine pack from the hospital after giving birth was just Tylenol and Advil to be taken at each medication’s maximum dose for 10 days.
EntropyReign
Trying to remember: are NSAIDs the ones that disrupt clotting?
DoIEvenLyftBro
Aspirin can disrupt clotting because it's a blood thinner, ibuprofen is pretty safe but can mess up your stomach if you take a lot for a long time, Tylenol/acetaminophen can destroy your liver from taking too much, don't know about Aleve much because I never use it.
Talori
In Australia, our 2 main go-tos are ibuprofen and paracetamol. Like, every family is a one or both of those kind of family. Aspirin is definitely around but used much less often due to the blood thinning aspects, not really a go-to for most. I've never come across acetaminophen. But ask anyone if they have meds for a headache in their bag and they'll have either ibuprofen and/or paracetamol. So it's so strange to never heard Americans refer to paracetamol... Is that not a thing there?
CairoLen
Acetaminophen and paracetamol are the same thing
NomNomNeutron
Acetaminophen and paracetamol are synonyms. It's uncommon to see "paracetamol" in the US and it's even rarer to hear it. We use "acetaminophen." Americans usually use the brand name for meds. In my experience, Americans will just call generic acetaminophen "Tylenol" even if it isn't Tylenol brand.
Talori
TIL! That explains a lot. Weird that there's two names for the medication though, I can't think of many others like that.
foreverinchains
All drugs have a minimum of two names when they reach market: the chemical name, and at least one brand name.
There are also language and regional differences.
SkinnerTBD
you guys aren't taking an NSAID and an analgesic at the same time? do you even relieve pain bro?
justravenhere10
What I bath in capsaicin gels. No pills
cousteau
Isn't ibuprofen an analgesic AND an NSAID?
chefsoda
Yes. Analgesic basically means painkiller, which all of these listed are. Ibuprofen is specifically an NSAID
Drenathar
Aleve (naproxen sodium) and aspirin are also NSAIDs. I find that they work best for sore muscles, sprains, swelling, etc. because they help with the inflammation and not just the pain.
cousteau
TIL aspirin is an anti-inflammatory too.
Drenathar
Yup! It's kind of an amazing little drug. NSAID, painkiller, blood thinner, and all originally derived from willow bark!
samwyze
I used to pop NSAIDs like candy, until my stomach lining told me to stop. Now, it's all weed, all the time.
BeaverOnFire
JimmyWalkerTexasRanger
TheHappyHermit
my mom can't take nsaids. She was given Aleve once and things did not go well. Blood pressure shot up, she dozed off and was out of it was hours. It was frickin' scary
Equinox13
The only time I take NSAIDs is when it's so bad I can't see straight, because NSAID side effects on my stomach lining are pretty bad on their own. The time I broke half a molar off on a three-day weekend with the dentist closed, I was timing how long till I could take my next Aleve and Tylenol.
SharlayTheBarbarian
I take sooooo many drugs, but no nsaids, they'll eat a hole in my stomach
TheMayorOfTittyCity
nsaids are analgesics
InkyBlinkyPinkyAndClyde
I take an extra strength ibuprofen and an extra strength acetaminophen with codeine at the same time. Helps a little. Mostly I just raw-dog the chronic pain because nothing really helps much and I know there are downsides to taking too much of that stuff.
PolyTheWicked
Ibuprofen and acetaminophen here (advil + Tylenol). Tylenol helps advil work more effectively.
martentos
Found out a few years back you can take Tylenol and advil at the same time.... game changer!
taegins
Also, offset the times.
NullUser20
Another game changer is alternating each one every two hours. Works amazing when you have a cold.
PolyTheWicked
Yep and Tylenol boosts Advil’s effect.
secgoat
You find that one out quick when you have kids and they get sick!
Totallyscrewedinaustin
Yup! Stacking meds
seventailfox78
“Analgesic” means any drug that relieves pain by whatever mechanism. It includes opiates, gabapentinoids, ketamine and loads of other drugs.
You can often combine drugs from different classes because they affect you in different ways so their various bad effects don’t add together and the dose of each remains safe.
You can take NSAIDs (eg ibuprofen or naproxen) alongside acetaminophen (=paracetamol) alongside codeine/dihydrocodeine/tramadol and it’s fine.
Source: I’m an anesthesiologist.
BeaverOnFire
Thelolzknight
Can confirm. I'm South African, and we get the good painkillers here: 1g acetaminophen(paracetamol), 400mg ibuprofen, and 5mg codeine. Yes, these are over the counter. My family has chronic headaches and migraines. They are a gift from god: 6 hours of clearheadedness. We have relatives abroad who ask for them, not gifts or candy.
katzohki
Hell yeah Excedrine is my go to for migraines and it's ibuprofen + acetaminophen + caffeine
Kehy
I just do caffeine (in chewable mints) + electrolyte water + 20 minutes rest. Ibuprofen optional, but the electrolyte water is a huge help
katzohki
Yeah nice! Sometimes stuff like that is enough for me too.
nonottelling
Ah, my tecipe during this time of year where it’s either plus or minus 5 degrees, so my body starts to revolt.
Thrice daily, 800mg Ibuprofen with a healthy dose of 1000mg Ibuprofen keeps me mobile(ish)..
seventailfox78
That (even disregarding the 1000mh you mention at the end as a mistake or a joke) is a very high dose and is quite likely to damage your kidneys. 400mg three times a day js a decent dose that should bring some pain relief - increasing the dose further is unlikely to give more pain relief but substantially increases the chance of severe side effects (kidney issues as I said, but also stomach ulcers as the other likely one)
nonottelling
Ah, I mistyped at the end. That shoukd have been Paracetamol.
And I know the risks, but it’s trading off really. Here’s hoping for normal temperatures soon..
daychilde
Unless you're me with heart and kidney problems in which case ibuprofen is out and acetaminophen doesn't do much. Meh.
ILLguapo
This needs more up votes. This person knows scientifically that this works.
mynamespaul
I had an injury just last week and had to take codine with NSAIDs. Like, the doc prescribed them so for sure you’re supposed to be able to take them together…. But It was not “fine” at all and no one warned me. The nausea and dizziness were the worst. I’d rather just be in pain.
RxFukitall
I didnt know you could take ibuprofen and naproxen together! This is a game changer
NumptyDumptyLump
I'm not by any means a medical professional. I take Tylenol when I have a headache and ibuprofen when my body hurts. Sometimes both of being a career Chef for man, many years.
possumattack
So doc.. I used to take a 1mg morphs for panic attacks as a teen, and last month as a 42 y/o I got 4mg in the ER for gallbladder issues, and it did very little. I have had opiates like 3 times in the past 30 years. Any idea why the morphine had so little effect? It was by IV as well.
FluffyFairyFeet
1mg is a very low dose that id be surprised if any healthy adult would feel any kind of effect from. 4mg is not a particularly high dose for acute billiary pain. With a pesky gallstone 10mg or more is not unusual. Tolerance to opiates can be affected by things like alcohol intake. Long lasting or very frequent biliary pain can be a sign of current or impending gallbladder inflammation so check in with an IRL physician if youre having such troubles
seventailfox78
Absolutely this. 1mg is a tiny dose for a grown adult and unless you’re particularly sensitive or tiny in mass, it’s unlikely to have much noticeable effect.
blainetog
Pretty sure you got ghosts in your blood. Have you considered cocaine?
Jimbo64
And a good one. This put me to sleep!
Maulak
Starting laughing out loud at work!
idrinkcheapbeer
good stuff.
Jimbo64
I hope they knew I was kidding. I was trying to make an ana.. ana.. person who puts people to sleep joke.
idrinkcheapbeer
I hope so because that's the way I took it. I snickered for real.