Paracetamol

[HisHobbyIsSex]

Listening to R4 show that said paracetamol is widely used but largely ineffective for many people.
Ditto aspirin and ibuprofen.
Triggered by a bored day in bed with a migraine brought on by a long walk this am - an Aibu

YABU - Paracetamol works for me
YANBU - Paracetamol doesn't work for me

It works for headaches. If I have back ache the only thing that works is ibuprofen and deep heat rub.

Paracetamol and ibuprofen don’t work for me. Cocodamol and tramadol make me nauseous. I don’t get on with naproxen but Nefopam works well. Something stronger, oramorph is the one.

I had a complicated wisdom tooth extraction last year and the dentist told me to take paracetamol. I gave a hollow laugh, took some anyway when I got home and then had to take double my usual dose of oxycodone when the anaesthetic wore off, plus slow release ibuprofen later after I managed to force down a milkshake  I sometimes think HCPs have no idea how painful the procedures they are performing are!

Paracetamol usually works for headaches for me (better with caffeine) and I routinely take it with the slow release ibuprofen because they are supposed to work better together. And it works for fever. I've noticed that IV is better than tablets too.

2 paracetamol and 1 400g ibuprofen 4 times a day is the only thing that worked for me during a bad 10 day straight migraine attack. I ended up in A&E and once they'd got it under control with IV paracetamol and prochlorperazine. The doses of paracetamol and ibuprofen were then recommended to take for around a week after I'd being discharged and also if an attack struck again. About a week and a half after my lumbar puncture I did take 2 cocodamol and 2 ibruprofen together. It felt like I was floating around on a big fluffy cloud, before completely knocking me out.

Paracetamol works most of the time for me, unless I take it quite a few times, then it seems to do nothing. I take it for headaches and fibro pain.

Currently being stabbed to death by peri period pains. Just had a rummage in the medicine box and nearly cried when the only pain killer I could see was Paracetamol. Thank fuck there was a full box of Ibuprofen lurking at the back.

Works for bringing down my temperature but that's about it

At one point I was on max doses of paracetamol, naproxen, diazepam, dihydrocodeine and oramorph and still working FT. Think it's the red hair because cocodamol is like taking a tic tac. Even oramorph doesn't make me drowsy or anything and I need extra anaesthetic because it wears off so fast especially local

Paracetomol is useless for me. Aspirin for headaches, ibuprofen for muscle or joint pain

Well - for me I ibuprofen works faster and feels more effective. Paracetamol does work but is so much slower.

same with my kids. Para takes so much longer to bring a temp down too.

Its not ineffective but slower

Paracetamol does very little for me. I use Anadin Extra which is aspirin, paracetamol and caffeine as the analgesic I find best. Strangely enough, intravenous paracetamol is used in hospital with really good effect.

Never works for me. I use ibuprofen.

The difference between IV and oral is actually completely down to perception/placebo effect of the mind believing it'll work better then a tablet you can buy in tescos. There have been large scale trials where people with a severe level of pain were given a trial pack of tablets and IV solution, the paracetamol was in only one not the other but the patient nor doctor would know which one. Analysing patient perception of their own pain following administration showed absolutely no benefit in giving paracetamol IV, other than you can't vomit it back up!

I only use paracetamol myself, see too much damage at work associated with long term ibuprofen use and that's massively put me off it.

I really rate paracetamol highly and it's the only drug I actually administer with any regularity as a Paramedic. We can give IV morphine in some circumstances but on my last audit only used it 3 times in 12 months. I think what a lot of people don't consider with paracetamol is that the therapeutic dose (where it has the optimum effect) is 2g for an adult. So when you take 1g as a one off dose the most you achieve is half the therapeutic dose. What's happening is that you're not back to 0g in your body when it gets to 4-6hours at the time you take the following dose. It's with the regular repeat dosage every 4-6hours that gets you safely up to 2g and that takes 1-2 days.

For migraine I take 900mg aspirin at the onset which usually fends it off.
An A&E dr told me this is safe to do

It doesn’t work on migraines for me. Aspirin is better if I don’t have my triptans.

For most
mild pain and fevers it does work for he.

I usually take paracetamol and if that doesn't work take ibuprofen but often it's enough. Sometimes I get headaches which are actually from neck which only ibuprofen will shift. If joint paint or swelling I'd likely take ibuprofen first.

My dog had bit of a daily cocktail as that can make them work more effectively against the pain. With paracetamol for muscle pains, nsaid for anti-inflammatory and gabapentin on neuropathic pain.

Paracetamol works really well for me. I don’t think I’ve ever taken anything stronger than paracetamol for pain; (with the exception of post surgery recovery twice). If I’m ill with a bug or flu etc it dies the trick. Also a big fan of lemsip!

Paracetamol is great and actually a pretty powerful painkiller. I think people think it's rubbish because it's so easily available.

I'm very envious of people for whom paracetemol works well!

YANBU

I agree.