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.

Yes in the house and in my handbag, along with ibuprofen, migraine meds, naproxen and some plasters

Ibuprofen, Paracetamol first work for me at all so there is no point.

I normally keep both Ibuprofen ( that would be my 1st choice painkiller) and paracetamol but we use them so rarely that the last time we needed them we discovered they were both expired!

Ibuprofen is brilliant for the body aches that comes with flu. Much better at bringing down fevers in our experience too. I’m not sure where you got the idea that it isn’t useful for these things?

The same place we get many of our ideas from - it’ll have been something I read or was told by an HCP at some distant point. Possibly I misremembered.
Not sure why you’re so bothered?

I have both but I hardly ever use paracetamol it’s always Ibuprofen. I have them for when I’m feeling really bad and need to alternate between both. Same with kids have both on hand incase they need both.

I never take painkillers (think the last time was when I was in the late stages of labour with DS who is 3!) but DH takes them all the time, often for migraines. He has both paracetamol and ibuprofen.

We always have paracetamol in, usually in multiple boxes as I rarely take it out with me so have in the past needed to buy a box for a headache, which is then added to the medicine cabinet.

We occasionally have ibuprofen or Nurofen in, but half of us are allergic, so it’s only if DH needs it

@rentraft I always found ibuprofen better than paracetamol for period pain.

@Mum2jenny we have both paracetamol and ibuprofen in the house normally- we use them for different things but either will do in a pain emergency 🤷
It's okay (and normal) to have personal preferences though.

We rarely take any painkillers. If there are some in 1st aid box they might be out of date, I go through box regularly and dispose of those, but don't do replacement. Painkillers are only taken after an operation in our home. We have never used them on a regular basis even when DCs were at home.

I do have osteo arthritis but use gentle exercise instead along with yoga.

I don’t take painkillers often but when I do it’s Ibuprofen. I don’t find paracetamol effective

Paracetamol, co-Codimol (both strengths), ibuprofen, naproxen (probably some tramadol and liquid morphine still kicking about too!!) 😂

I'm not supposed to take Ibuprofen(although do keep a box in just in case someone needs it) I have paracetamol, co-codamol, pink Migraleve, blocked nose tablets and 3 types of antihistamines in the medicine box.

I try to keep a strip of paracetamol in my handbag and car too.

Pain killers don't do anything for osteoarthritis anyway, so you're fine there.

I have it too and exercise/yoga also don't do anything.

As a doctor - paracetamol is the standard basic painkiller. Ibuprofen is an antiinflamatory drug and great for musculoskeletal issues but can cause stomach irritation and issues for asthmatics so tends to be second line.

I have ibuprofen, paracetamol and aspirin in. I go for anti-inflammatory and a bit of blood thinning, which as we get older isn't a bad thing. My DP has prescribed codeine and Co-codamol. I avoid painkillers for the sake of my liver.

Paracetamol and ibuprofen. Calpol for the children occasionally ibuprofen suspension too.

I keep both. In fact all kinds of painkiller.

if something is quite bad then I'll take paracetamol and then a couple of hours later ibuprofen. Acts a double whammy for difficult to shift pains.

I also keep aspirin in the house and in my handbag.

family friends dad - a stranger gave him an aspirin to chew* when he was having a suspected heart attack while they waited for the paramedics. They reckon it saved his life. it thinned the blood and reduced clot build up.

I always keep them on me now. But it's not something I use for a painkiller weirdly...!

must be to chew *for this purpose apparently, not swallow

This…
They work in different ways so there’s a place for both. However ibuprofen has side effects including gastric bleeding if used excessively. I’m not sure paracetamol has any side effects!!

I think I have everything but anti nausea pills. Does anyone know why you can't get them OTC? Except travel sickness of course. Or maybe you can? I don't get sick very often but I absolutely hate the feeling so could really do with some anti sickness pills in my collection.

OTC travel sickness tablets will work for nausea.

@Cappuccino5 oh that's great thanks, I should pick some up next time I'm out.