06/13/2021
Here is a succinct and well supported synopsis on pain-killers.
"The one safety rule (“to rule them all”) is always minimize dosage and avoid chronic use, but that’s very general. Some pain killers are more of a problem than others, so specifically how can you “minimize dosage” while still getting as much benefit as possible? Here are three more specific rules:
▪️ First choice! Prefer topical pain-killers (e.g. Voltaren) where applicable — usually superficially injured tissue. The limited, targeted dosing is a great feature!
▪️ Second choice! Try acetaminophen (Tylenol, Panadol etc) if it’s helpful. Acetaminophen is one of the safest drugs in existence at recommended dosages, but quite dangerous in overdose.
▪️ Third choice! Use ibuprofen and other NSAIDs last — they tends to be the most effective for the widest range of complaints, but also have significant side effects at any dose (though more is worse, of course)."
"The pain system is an extremely basic physiological system, thoroughly tangled up with other critical systems. Trying to “kill” pain is like trying to kill trees without hurting the forest."
A user’s guide to over-the-counter analgesics like acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and more.
