analgesics: efficacy, safety, alcohol, etc.

jimtron

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jimtron
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I'm wondering about over the counter pain relievers. Which are most effective and safe (not brands necessarily, but types like aspirin, ibuprofen, etc). What about alcohol and analgesics? I've heard some can be harmful with alcohol--are there some analgesics that are safer with booze than others?
 
There's a pain medicine called Toradol that doesn't work for women, that's according to me and my female friends.

I used to mix prescription medicine with booze until I learned a very hard lesson. I took one measly demerol and ended up in a coma. My friend was spending the night and called an ambulance when she couldn't wake me up the next morning, I spent a week in the ICU. :faint:

Don't take that chance, I swear I'll never do that again, they're not kidding around when they put that warning on the bottle. :teacher:
 
I used to mix prescription medicine with booze until I learned a very hard lesson. I took one measly demerol and ended up in a coma. My friend was spending the night and called an ambulance when she couldn't wake me up the next morning, I spent a week in the ICU. :faint:
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Yikes, sorry to hear that. I'm thinking of OTC pain relievers though, and not necessarily a lot of alcohol.
 
An over the counter pain medicine called Excedrine is the most effective for me.
It contains caffiene so it would probably be okay to take with alcohol. Read the box!
 
This kind of information can generally be found on the bottle.

For example, the label on my current bottle of ibuprofen says:

Stomach bleeding warning: This product contains a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), which may cause stomach bleeding. The chance is higher if you:
...<snipped long bulleted list>...
Have 3 or more alcoholic drinks every day while using this product.
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Always read the labels on your OTC medication :)
 
There was also a warning in the news last year about taking Tylenol and alcohol because it can cause liver problems.
 
jimtron said:
Which are most effective and safe (not brands necessarily, but types like aspirin, ibuprofen, etc).
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Effectiveness depends on the type of pain (headaches, muscular pains, arthritic pains etc) . Safety depends on dosage, preexisting problems, other medications etc.

I am still puzzled by the rate at which people consume analgesics. I have often thought that maybe a large percentage of the population are in real pain, but I lean towards the conclusion that most are just idiots who think that a simple analgesic will cure everything, including psychological problems, food cravings, bad mood, insomnia etc. This conclusion of mine is supported by the number of people who fail to understand that 500mg of paracetamol Brand A is no different than 500mg of paracetamol Brand B and stock up in both. Nothing to do with the OP, just a little rant.
 
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El Greco said:
I have often thought that maybe a large percentage of the population are in real pain, but I lean towards the conclusion that most are just idiots
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The answer is "idiots".

Being dehydrated can give you a headache and cause your muscles to hurt, if you take a pill with water to make you feel better it's probably the water that you needed not the pill.
 
Roma Hart said:
An over the counter pain medicine called Excedrine is the most effective for me.
It contains caffiene so it would probably be okay to take with alcohol.
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What does the presence of caffiene[sic] in this product have to do with it's interaction with alcohol?
Read the box!
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indeed
From their FAQ
Alcohol warning: If you consume 3 or more alcoholic drinks every day, ask your doctor whether you should take acetaminophen and aspirin or other pain relievers/fever reducers. Acetaminophen and aspirin may cause liver damage and stomach bleeding.
 
For migraine headaches, I take 3 (generic) Extra Strength Excedrin (250mg acetaminophen, 250mg aspirin, 65mg caffeine). This was recommended to me by a neurologist. No other over-the-counter medicine I've tried works nearly as well.
For muscle pain/back aches, I take 3, 200mg ibuprofen.
 
EHocking said:
What does the presence of caffeine in this product have to do with it's interaction with alcohol?
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Very generally speaking if a medication warns you that it may cause sleepiness you should not take it with alcohol because you could become very sleepy, or go into a coma. Excedrine contains caffeine which is a stimulant and will not make you sleepy.
 
Hmm, let me phrase this a different way. Does anyone know of any effective OTC pain relievers that work well, and aren't potentially harmful with alcohol? Or are they all bad to take with booze?
 
jimtron said:
Hmm, let me phrase this a different way. Does anyone know of any effective OTC pain relievers that work well, and aren't potentially harmful with alcohol? Or are they all bad to take with booze?
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No, I don't know of any OTC pain relievers that are "safe" to take with alcohol. AFAIK, they all have warnings to not take them with alcohol.

Is there a particular reason this is important? I mean, unless one is an alcoholic, going without alcohol while taking pain relievers shouldn't generally be an issue...
 
acetaminophen/TYLENOL is the #2 cause of liver disease behind alcohol. I wouldn't mix them.

Ibuprofen works best fro me, BUT is strongly linked to kidney damage in diabetics. I think it can be the straw that breaks the camel's back. 1200mg/day is the threshold dose. But 880 hasn't killed me yet. The prescription dose is 800, it comes OTC in 220s. Three do nothing, four works wonders.
 
jimtron said:
I usually do; I was wondering if there are some analgesics that are safer with alcohol than others.
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jimtron said:
Hmm, let me phrase this a different way. Does anyone know of any effective OTC pain relievers that work well, and aren't potentially harmful with alcohol? Or are they all bad to take with booze?
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Tylenol (acetaminophen (called "paracetamol" outside the US)) can really cook your liver with alcohol.

A number of people have been quite surprised by this--apparently, it doesn't take much.


I'd go with aspirin or ibuprofen, and not drink on top of it--the problem with aspirin is that it can be hard on your stomach...

I'm quite interested in this general discussion, as I've not heard solid evidence that ibuprofen is more effective than aspirin, and this caused a bitter fight at home. A doctor said that aspirin wasn't so good for the pain of a stubbed toe, but had no evidence to back this up other than his charisma--I'm still wondering if he was right, or just making things up to sound sure of himself, as several doctors I know do automatically.

eta: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2354/does-tylenol-alcohol-liver-failure-plus
 
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jimtron said:
Hmm, let me phrase this a different way. Does anyone know of any effective OTC pain relievers that work well, and aren't potentially harmful with alcohol? Or are they all bad to take with booze?
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If your taking pain killers with booze I think you've got more to worry about than their effectiveness.:)
 
Is there a particular reason this is important? I mean, unless one is an alcoholic, going without alcohol while taking pain relievers shouldn't generally be an issue...
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I have 1 or 2 drinks daily, and occasionally get headaches. Also, every once and a while I will have 3 or more, and could use an analgesic if hungover.
 
jimtron said:
I have 1 or 2 drinks daily, and occasionally get headaches. Also, every once and a while I will have 3 or more, and could use an analgesic if hungover.
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In the case of having 1-2 drinks daily, it might be advisable to consult your physician regarding which OTC pain reliever would be best for your personal use.

In regards to using OTC pain relievers to treat hangovers, well, the alcohol is generally out of your system at that point, so shouldn't be an issue. However, consulting your physician would still be the best course of action as he/she would be aware of anything else that would need to be taken into consideration.
 
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