Paracetamol - is it a standard in your house?

[Mum2jenny]

I’ve just had my adult daughter here and I do not use paracetamol as it just isn’t my thing, I prefer ibuprofen.
What standard painkillers do the rest of you use and keep in your house?
I do keep baby paracetamol, but not adult doses.

Unless you specifically want the anti inflammatory properties of Ibuprofen, you are much better off taking Paracetamol as it is has less side effects. Ibuprofen can give you indigestion or a stomach ulcer and long term use can increase your risk of a stroke. Side effects of Paracetamol are very rare, it is one of the safest drugs you can take.

I generally avoid them if I can.

Paracetamol for headaches. I now use it for period pains too (rarely as it's not as effective) - however that's because NSAIDS give me tinnitus and I'd rather avoid them altogether.

Ibuprofen only where absolutely necessary for anti-inflammation, so rarely.

We keep children versions for DC, but use it as above, only where necessary. Nurofen tends to work better if DC has a high temp.

The only thing in our first aid kit is paracetamol, ibuprofen and plasters.

We always have both in.

my MIL ‘didn’t believe in’ taking painkillers. I asked her once as I had a stinker of a headache: she managed to find a single, ancient Disprol from when DH was a baby 🙄

And we use them both. We also have a range of stronger stuff left over from back problems / surgeries, including Lamaline, Co-Codamol, ibuprofen/codeine. I have ongoing disc problems which flare up from time to time, so it’s good to have something stronger to hand.

I have both. Always been advised to take paracetamol for a fever, also ibuprofen can irritate my stomach so avoid it too much. Paracetamol is also useful for the dogs if they need it occasionally (vet has advised this).

We always have a little stockpile of both in our house (buy a box everytime I do the big food shop)

Paracetamol is our standard, Ibuprofen might be if it's an infection type of thing.

We have both in at all times - I avoid ibuprofen, and it used to make DS throw up, so I’m guessing it’s mostly for DH. I also have a stash of co-codimol which I keep for best, left over from one of DSs many sporting injuries.

I actually have what resembles a mini pharmacy in one shelf of my kitchen. I had to hand out the burn gel yesterday to DS who came home showing me he’d burnt his leg on an exhaust pipe. He’s a trained first aider, so I’m hoping he actually treated it appropriately at the time, as he claimed

And who knows what size plaster or dressing might be needed at some point?! One reason I don’t like leaving for holiday is that I can’t take it all with me.

Always have paracetamol. Every so often (like every few years) I seem to injure myself in one way or another (most recently was slipping on ice) and always get prescribed a big jar of paracetamol (100 1g pills) which tends to last until the next injury. I can't use ibuprofen so paracetamol it is, but I do keep ibuprofen for others.

Paracetamol and ibuprofen do different things.

i am asthmatic, so no ibuprofen here
just paracetamol

Paracetamol is my go-to. Codeine for migraines. Ibuprofen and aspirin on hand in smaller quantities. Aspirin always feels a bit “only if I’m desperate, doesn’t do much”, ibuprofen reserved for inflammation. Paracetamol does the job.

I would be happy with this as the sum of my medicine cabinet but unfortunately I live with DP, who enjoys having to hand a cornucopia of remedies to non-existent maladies; and have DC, so invariably we have leftover movicol sachets, bottles of worming medicine, nit lotion, calamine, shares in off-brand calpol and junior ibuprofen, 70,000 plasters.

What does your daughter have to do with it? Confusing post

They’re different drugs for different purposes. Ibuprofen is an anti inflammatory for things like joint pain, sprains, etc. paracetamol is a pain reliever and reduces temperature when you have a fever. Ibuprofen can be rough on your stomach so you shouldn’t be taking that just for a headache, save it for when it’s actually needed.

Yes I completely understand that, I was asking the poster that said ibuprofen wasn’t to be used for pain or temperature.

I use paracetamol daily as it partners well with dihydrocodeine to reduce pain. I have OA so use it daily. I have paracetamol on repeat prescription. So I have plenty of the stuff. I buy small boxes of it for the rest of the family, same with ibuprofen.

We don't really use paracetamol but do have some in the medicines box in case anyone is here who needs it and can't take Ibuprofen.

DH has a knee issue and regularly takes Ibuprofen to alleviate the pain.

I can't remember the last time I took any sort of painkillers. I had a cold almost 3 years ago and took Lemsip which I think has paracetamol in it.

Paracetamol is a lot less problematic as a painkiller. Ibuprofen can cause stomach ulcers, aftects asthma and interacts with many different types of medication. Paracetamol should always be first line.

Paracetamol does nothing for my period pain so always have a few boxes of Ibuprofen in the house. Tend to take 8 per day for 3 days at the worst time of the month!

Paracetamol is the go to. We also keep Ibuprofen. To be honest they are very rarely touched, but DP and I have just had a nasty virus with temps etc. so the paracetamol came in handy.

I can’t take ibuprofen as I have a stomach issue, I always keep paracetamol for period pain or headaches.

It’s also very cheap!

It doesn't cross the threshold of my house because I'm allergic to the bloody things. Ibuprofen all the way here.

We have both, depending on what's needed.

Paracetamol is the go-to for general pain and ibuprofen is somewhat avoided (harsher on stomach and liver) - more for inflammation ailments is my understanding.

Yet another one post wonder pile of bollocks