Whether it’s for a headache, menstrual cramps or an aching tooth, many people have an over-the-counter pain reliever in their home medicine cabinet. Drugs that reduce pain, known medically as analgesics, can have unwelcome side effects, however. Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about pain relievers.
Q: How do pain relievers work?
A: “Pain relievers alleviate or deaden the intensity of pain,” says Thomas Isenberg, managing director of the German Pain Society, a member of the International Association for the Study of Pain. This is the case for occasional headaches, toothaches or joint pain as well as menstrual cramps, for example. “The degree to which the pain is allayed depends on the active ingredient and dose,” adds pharmacist Ursula Sellerberg.
Q: Which active ingredient is recommended for which type of pain?
A: For fairly mild pain, non-opiod analgesics are effective, for example acetylsalicylic acid (better known as aspirin), paracetamol or low-dose diclofenac, ibuprofen or naproxen. “Depending on the dose and package size, various medications with these active ingredients are available over the counter,” Sellerberg says.
If the pain is caused by inflammation or an inflammatory rheumatic disease, then non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the right pain relievers.
Along with high-dose ibuprofen and diclofenac, they include piroxicam, for example. These medications require a doctor’s prescription.
For severe pain, for instance after surgery or an injury, or from cancer, patients frequently have to take an opioid analgesic such as morphine or fentanyl. These drugs require a special narcotic prescription from a doctor.
Q: Can pain relievers be habit-forming?
A: “Yes, and that’s really a problem,” says Isenberg, according to whom nearly half of adults take over-the-counter pain relievers at least once in a four-week period — and often for too long. “As many as a third of pain reliever users are unfamiliar with the usage recommendations.”
Q: Why is it unwise to take over-the-counter pain relievers for an indefinite period?
A: “To be clear, pain is a warning signal from your body,” emphasises Dr Ulrich R. Foelsch, secretary general of the German Society for Internal Medicine (DGIM). It’s better to have the cause of the pain examined and treated. Pain relievers can have unwanted side effects on the stomach, liver, kidneys and cardiovascular system.
Q: How long at a time should pain relievers be taken?
A: “It depends,” Foelsch says. It makes a difference whether or not you know what’s causing the pain. In the case of pain such as that from menstrual cramps, whose cause is clear, the rule of thumb is no longer than three days in a row and no more than 10 days a month without medical consultation. – dpa
