HEALTHNET

Choose and take painkillers with care

A wide variety of common painkillers can be bought at the drugstore...and it is important to buy and to use them correctly.

(Posted on 27 October 2005)

Understanding different kinds of painkillers

A wide variety of common painkillers can be bought at the drugstore or supermarket. Although such over-the-counter (OTC) drugs may be considered less dangerous than prescription drugs, this is not necessarily so and it is important to buy and to use them correctly.

In general, these types of painkiller include Aspirin (Meaning: tradename of acetylsalicylic acid which treats pain and reduces fever) and Paracetamol (Meaning: acetaminophen which is a pain reliever and fever reducer). Aspirin has been used to ease pain for a long time but it is not suitable for children under the age of 16 due to the risk of developing Reye's Syndrome (Meaning: a sudden disease of the brain with degeneration of the liver, which occurs in children) and of damage the brain and liver functions.

As for Paracetamol, although it is generally considered to be a relatively safe drug, an overdose can cause permanent liver failure or even death. So the maximum dosage per day should be carefully noted. The dose for an adult is no more than 4gm per day. With such an OTC product of 500mg per tablet generally, an adult should consume a maximum of 8 tablets per day and a maximum of 2 tablets each time. Taking 20 tablets containing 500mg each is enough to cause liver cells damage, coma or even death. In addition to Panadol, there is Tylenol, another brand of the same kind of drug, which is also available in the marketplace. It is advisable not to take them simultaneously as you may not be aware of the possibility of taking an overdose.

How to choose painkillers?

Recently, more and more painkillers with some special emphases have become available, such as ultra, fast-acting and long-lasting effects. Which should you choose? Are they necessary? Painkillers with an "ultra effect" contain caffeine or codeine (Meaning: a narcotic pain reliever) for a stronger effect. However, consumption over an extended period of time increases the risk of addiction and constipation. As for the "fast effect" painkiller, one of the ways it works is due to the change in the drug structure with the drug being wrapped in a substance that is easy to dissolve so that the release of drug ingredients is faster thereby allowing it to act faster.

Undoubtedly, a fast acting effect satisfies the physical and psychological needs of relieving pain. However, it should be noted that the faster a drug enters our bodies, the more difficult detoxification would become if poisoning or serious side effects developed.

As for any drug with a long-lasting effect, one tablet is enough for 24 hours. One of the ways this works is that the outer layer of the drug needs a longer time to dissolve. However, similar to those drugs with a fast acting effect, it will be difficult to reverse the impact on the body if any serious conditions develop after consumption.

Are these drugs with special emphases really necessary? Undoubtedly, the ideal painkillers are those with both a fast acting and a strong effect that produce minimum side effects. However, frequent use of painkillers with extra effects will lower the body's sensitivity and reaction to the drugs. Research* in 2004 revealed that the more painkillers that people with migraine (Meaning: symptom complex of periodic attacks of vascular headaches) consumed, the more headaches they had. After all, pain is a physical reaction and can be the result of mental conditions. Placing too much reliance on any drug may not be the wisest thing to do.

* - Hans-Christoph Diener and Volker Limmroth, "Medication-overuse headache: a worldwide problem" The LANCET Neurology, Vol 3 August 2004

Source: Drug Education Resources Centre, The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Hong Kong