Pain Killers
The range of painkillers (analgesics) available is very large and can be confusing. However, there are a limited number of ingredients and this information is designed to help you choose the right product for your type of pain.
Generally, products containing paracetamol, aspirin or ibuprofen alone will be useful to treat mild to moderate pain. One or more of these plus either codeine or dihydrocodeine will treat more severe pain.
Aspirin and ibuprofen are both anti-inflammatory. This means they will help to reduce the inflammation, which may be causing the pain. This makes them particularly suitable for joint pain, muscle strains and sprains and toothache. Paracetamol is not an anti-inflammatory.
Paracetamol, aspirin and ibuprofen are all anti-pyretic. This means that they will help to reduce a raised body temperature (fever) caused by an infection.
Analgesics come in many different forms. Soluble tablets are absorbed by the body more quickly than solid tablets and so will start to reduce the pain more quickly. There are other fast acting products such as Nurofen Advance. Sustained release products have longer lasting painkilling effects and so are more suitable for long lasting pain. Capsules and caplets tend to be easier to swallow than traditional round tablets. Flavoured liquids are available for children.
There are various possible side effects with these common painkillers, and certain groups of people should avoid taking some of them, or should consult a pharmacist or doctor before taking them. Brief descriptions are given in the table below, however please check individual product details, or ask our pharmacists for more advice.
There are specialist products available for treating migraine and period pain.
| Ingredient |
Desc |
Anti- inflamm- atory |
Anti-pyretic
|
People
|
Common
side effects |
Age
range* |
|
| Pain- killing ingre- dients |
Para-cetamol | Mild to moderate pain | No | Yes | Those
with kidney or liver diseases. |
Rare, but dangerous in overdose | From 3 months* |
| Aspirin | Mild to moderate pain | Yes | Yes | Those
with asthma, allergic disease, kidney or liver disease, ulcers, haemophilia. Pregnant & breast feeding women |
May cause irritation to stomach lining. | Not for children under 12 years* | |
| Ibuprofen | Mild to moderate pain | Yes | Yes | Those
with asthma, allergic disease, kidney or liver disease, ulcers, haemophilia. Pregnant & breast feeding women |
May cause irritation to stomach lining. | From 6 months* | |
| Codeine | For more severe pain. | No | No | Those with chronic constipation. | May cause constipation. | From 12 years* | |
| Dihydro- codeine |
For more severe pain. | No | No | From 12 years* | |||
| Other
ingre- dients |
Caffeine | This is a weak stimulant and is often included as an ingredient in painkilling products. It is believed to increase the painkilling effects of the other ingredients. | |||||
| Diphen- hydramine |
This
is a mild antihistamine which is included as an extra ingredient
in some painkillers, as it causes drowsiness and can help to
promote sleep in those suffering from night-time pain. |
||||||
| Doxy-lamine | Doxylamine is also a drowsy antihistamine, which is included in Syndol tablets for its muscle relaxant properties. This preparation is therefore particularly suitable for tension headaches that require a stronger painkiller than standard paracetamol or aspirin tablets. | ||||||
| Methionine | Is an ingredient of Paradote. It has no analgesic effect of its own but may reduce damage to the liver by paracetamol if an overdose is taken. | ||||||
|
*Age ranges given may not apply to all products containing these ingredients. Please check individual product information. For more advice, ask a pharmacist or doctor. |
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All content of this web site is for information purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice; rather it is designed to support, not replace, the relationship between you and your healthcare providers. You should make sure that you carefully read all product packaging and labels prior to use. If you have, or suspect you may have, a health problem you should consult your doctor. Please consult your doctor before taking any new product, particularly if you are already under medical care. For more information view our Terms & Conditions © Pharmacy2U Ltd 2000 - 2007.
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