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Ibuprofen vs. Paracetamol

Both ibuprofen and paracetamol are quite common medicines you will find in most people’s handbag or medicine cabinet. These are the two most commonly used painkillers worldwide. But when it comes to choose between the two – ibuprofen vs. paracetamol – most people end up confused.

Most people regard both the medicines to be roughly similar, and randomly pick whatever is convenient. However, there are certain points of difference that makes one better than the other in some circumstances. Take a look into this blog to find out which is the best option for you and when.   

Paracetamol and Ibuprofen. Are they the same thing?

Although both the medicines have similar effects on people and are often treated interchangeably, paracetamol and ibuprofen are not the same. These drugs are much different from one another with different points of strength and weakness. In fact, the body also deals with these two drugs in a different way. While the kidneys metabolise ibuprofen, paracetamol is processed in the liver. Both the medicines function by different mechanisms.

Paracetamol and Ibuprofen for Pain Relief

Pain may occur at any hour, even at the most unexpected times. This makes you look for pain relief instantly to get rid of the incessant discomfort. Suppose you find a strip of paracetamol and a strip of ibuprofen as soon as you open the medicine box. Which one should you take? It’s a great confusion!

Consult our private GPs to understand the purpose of each drug, and how and when should you take it. Although both the medicines are painkillers and alleviate your pain symptoms, they work by different mechanisms and drug interactions.

Paracetamol

Paracetamol is one of the most commonly used and widespread painkillers, prescribed by millions of doctors and available over the counter in most countries as well. Also known as acetaminophen, it works as mild painkiller or analgesic, and functions as antipyretic as well in reducing fever. Pain in the muscle and joints, mild arthritis pain, toothache, and headache – all can be reduced with paracetamol.  

How does paracetamol help?

The mechanism of action of paracetamol involves the drug blocking the pathway carrying pain signals to the nervous system. As a result, these signals cannot reach your brain and end up in alleviating the pain. Moreover, these pathways also carry some chemicals producing fever in the body. This is why paracetamol is also effective in reducing fever and managing a high body temperature.  

Unlike other medicines, paracetamol can be simultaneously be taken with other medications, and not require to be taken only after food. In severe cases of pain, you can have paracetamol and ibuprofen together as they relieve pain in different ways. Paracetamol is available in various forms, the most common being 500 mg tablets or capsules. However, it can be given intravenously in hospitals or as liquid to children. Safe consumption requires knowing the right dosage of paracetamol for different age groups.   

Paracetamol in pregnancy

There is no medical which suggests paracetamol affects pregnancy. In fact, millions of women have paracetamol in pregnancy for pain relief. Breastfeeding mothers are also able to take paracetamol. However, it is always better to consult your doctor before having paracetamol in case of kidney or liver problems.

Interaction with other medication

You must avoid paracetamol if you are having certain drugs like:

  • Carbamazepine: Treats nerve pain and epilepsy
  • Warfarin: Functions as blood thinner
  • Phenytoin: Medication for epilepsy
  • Metoclopramide: Common treatment for nausea, vomiting, and heartburn.

Side effects

Paracetamol is not usually known to cause many side effects. However, some rare paracetamol side effects include:

  • Allergic reactions, causing rashes and swelling
  • Different blood disorders
  • Hepatitis, a condition of inflammation or infection in the liver
  • Pancytopenia, low red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets
  • Neutropenia, a condition of reduced thrombocytes in the blood
  • Fever induced from drugs
  • Irregularities in the heart such as low blood pressure, mostly occurring in case of paracetamol given intravenously

Paracetamol is used widely because of its fewer reported side effects. It is safe for almost every person to have paracetamol, including children from 1 month old as well as pregnant women.

Overdose

Overdose of paracetamol creates potential harm for any individual. If you suspect yourself of having taken too much paracetamol, you must look for urgent medical attention. Paracetamol does not primarily show many symptoms except vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, or sweating, but emergency medical assistance needs to be administered promptly. If you wait until the symptoms show up, the damage may already be done.

As the liver performs the main breakdown of paracetamol, overdose of this drug might lead to acute liver damage, a condition called hepatotoxicity. Moreover, if you are already taking remedies for flu or cold, avoid taking paracetamol tablets additionally. This is because most cold treatments commonly contain paracetamol, intake of which can cause double dosing. This might lead to accidental paracetamol overdose.

Ibuprofen

Ibuprofen is a type of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that is widely available over the counter in several countries. Ibuprofen treats pain and reduces fever in a very similar way to that of paracetamol. However, the main difference is that ibuprofen reduces inflammation.

What does ibuprofen do?

Inflammation may occur in the body due to various reasons. It may indicate the body’s response to damage, or might be a sign of infection. The strong anti-inflammatory effect of ibuprofen is what makes it a more effective solution than paracetamol in treating different pains like period cramps, muscle injuries, or rheumatoid arthritis.

Ibuprofen works by temporarily ceasing the production of compounds called prostaglandins. These. Although the drug quickly shows its effect in reducing pain, its anti-inflammatory impact can take weeks to show optimal results.   

Ibuprofen comes in a number of forms – tablets, capsules, creams, gels, or sprays. In fact, ibuprofen gel is already a popular gel used as a remedy for muscle pain and backaches, offering significant local pain relief. Ibuprofen is also available in the form of syrup for children from and above 3 months. In case of a specific localised injury, applying ibuprofen gel on the skin can help.

Moreover, ibuprofen requires following dosage instructions just like paracetamol. Ibuprofen is usually recommended to be taken with some food, or at least a glass of milk. Having ibuprofen in empty stomach can upset your stomach.

Who can take Ibuprofen?

Not everyone is fit for taking ibuprofen, like paracetamol. People with certain conditions must avoid taking ibuprofen:

  • Hypersensitive or allergic to other NSAIDs
  • Suffering from heart failure or similar heart conditions
  • Suffering from a stomach ulcer
  • Patients of liver disease

On the other hand, people with the conditions listed below may take ibuprofen, but have to be very careful:

  • Liver or kidney problems
  • Ulcerative colitis
  • Hypertension (high blood pressure)
  • Former cases of stroke
  • Asthma
  • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) patients

Ibuprofen in pregnancy

It is crucial for pregnant women to always seek healthcare advice from a doctor before taking any medication. However, it is often reported that paracetamol is typically a more appropriate painkiller in pregnancy. Most importantly, doctors recommend that as ibuprofen affects the heart health of the foetus, it must be strictly avoided during the third trimester of pregnancy. 

Interaction with other medication

Ibuprofen is often known to undergo several unpredictable interactions with different kinds of drugs. The following drugs interact with ibuprofen and release potential harmful side effects:

  • Aldosterone antagonists
  • ACE Inhibitors
  • Amiloride
  • Alendronate
  • Aspirin
  • Brimonidine
  • Beta-blockers
  • Corticosteroids
  • Cyclosporin
  • Calcineurin inhibitors
  • Fluconazole
  • Loop diuretics
  • Lithium
  • Methotrexate
  • Potassium
  • Prostaglandin analogues
  • Phenindione
  • Rifampicin
  • Sartans
  • Thiazolidinediones
  • Thiazide diuretics
  • Tacrolimus
  • Triamterene
  • Warfarin

It is, therefore, very important to check your other ongoing medications before taking ibuprofen. Consulting a doctor is the best way to avoid such complications. 

Side effects

Ibuprofen produces a larger number of side effects than paracetamol. Although not everyone is affected by ibuprofen, some individuals experience side effects like:

  • Bowel habit alterations
  • Nausea
  • Headache
  • Abdominal pain
  • Gastritis
  • High blood pressure
  • Diarrhoea
  • Dizziness
  • Gastrointestinal bleeding
  • Gastrointestinal ulcers
  • Heartburn

There other several other side effects as well, but these are the most common occurrences.

Overdose

Doctors always recommend following some specific dosage instructions while having painkillers. Ibuprofen overdose is a known phenomenon reported by many. Luckily, the symptoms are not extreme and this phenomenon is rarely fatal. At least, it does not lead to severe complications like hepatotoxicity from paracetamol overdose.

In some rare cases, ibuprofen overdose can lead to kidney failure. Some mild symptoms of this overdose include heartburn, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), vomiting, nausea, dizziness, diarrhoea, rashes, stomach pain, sweating, or even blurred vision. Moreover, severe symptoms like slow or difficult breathing, severe headache, seizures, convulsions, little to no urine production, hypotension, or even slipping into a coma can also arise from ibuprofen overdose.

Is Ibuprofen a blood thinner?

Technically, ibuprofen is not a blood thinner, but it exhibits similar effects to that of a blood thinner. It slows down the clotting process, eventually slowing down the healing of wounds. Moreover, blood thinners can also trigger medical conditions which thin the blood or instigate the impacts of actual blood thinning medications. While taking ibuprofen you must be very careful if you have any such medical condition or ongoing medication, and must seek doctor’s advice before taking such drug.    

Differentiating Paracetamol from Ibuprofen

Paracetamol and ibuprofen are two different medications but have similar effects on your health. The function of both the drugs is to suppress pain and control fever by restricting the production of prostaglandins in the brain. When the question comes to ibuprofen vs. paracetamol, it is promptly apparent that these two drugs function by different mechanisms, processed by different organs, interact with drugs in different ways, have varying side effects, and slightly different benefits as well. 

Ibuprofen vs. Paracetamol – the better option?

If you just looking for a general painkiller for your headache, the most common opinion is to start with paracetamol and then move on to ibuprofen if the former is not effective. This is because paracetamol has minimal side effects and drug interactions compared to other medications, making it one of the most versatile and safest painkiller options. You can also take paracetamol without food.

If paracetamol is found to be not as much effective as expected, then ibuprofen may be tried as an alternative.

For medical issues like period pain or muscular injuries, it would be better to begin with ibuprofen as it is more effective in managing these kinds of pain. Doctors often forbid ibuprofen for pregnant females during the third trimester as it is reported to cause miscarriages or harm the growing foetus.      

Can you take paracetamol and ibuprofen together?

Yes, paracetamol and ibuprofen can be taken together if you follow the recommended dosage for the medications. Paracetamol and ibuprofen do not react with one another in any way, allowing them both to work independently. This suggests that a dose of both the painkillers can be recommended to manage acute pain, than to take overdose of either of the drugs which is quite dangerous. There are several products available in the medical stores that combine both ibuprofen and paracetamol in a single tablet.  

Another way is staggering both the painkillers to achieve consistent pain relief. As most painkillers require at least 4 to 6 hours interval between two doses for safety, the period when the last dose wears off, it can be quite uncomfortable. However, if you first take a dose of paracetamol and then a dose of ibuprofen 3 hours later, and again a dose of paracetamol after another 3 hours, and then so on, it can help. It would probably be more effective in providing better ongoing pain relief.   

However, it is important to note that both ibuprofen as well as paracetamol is meant only for short term use. If your pain does not go away in 2 to 3 days, you must consult a doctor as soon as possible to get an alternative solution.

Paracetamol or Ibuprofen – Which is good for children?

Whether for a child or an adult, it is necessary to compare ibuprofen vs. paracetamol to find out which is a more suitable solution. With different advantages and disadvantages, these two drugs pose different impact on people’s health. However, if you are unsure of which drug is more suitable for you, starting with paracetamol is a wiser decision as it holds few potential complications.

Pain with inflammation requires ibuprofen for a more effective solution. Moreover, ibuprofen works quicker than paracetamol, producing results in around 15 minutes, whereas paracetamol requires about 30 minutes to exhibit results. It is important to go through the dosage instructions carefully, especially in case of children. Dosages are decided based on weight, age, and other factors.  

Which one is stronger – Paracetamol or Ibuprofen?

When it comes to the strength of ibuprofen vs. paracetamol, you must remember that they are two different drugs with different working mechanisms and are effective for different kinds of pain. Ibuprofen has stronger anti-inflammatory properties than paracetamol, which makes it more suitable for muscle or joint pain with inflammation.

Paracetamol, on the other hand, is a more effective option for reducing typical fever and pain which are not caused form inflammation. From mild to moderate pain relief, for managing fever and controlling a high body temperature, paracetamol is a suitable solution for most conditions.

It should, however, be mentioned that the perceived strength of a medication is often determined by individual factors and the specific condition which needs to be treated. Consult a healthcare specialist to get personalised advice addressing your health needs and appropriate recommendations on drug dosage.

Which is better - paracetamol or ibuprofen, for headache?

It is a common concept that paracetamol or ibuprofen for headache is almost equally effective. Ibuprofen is widely reported to provide faster pain relief that paracetamol in cases of common headaches. Its ability in delivering more efficient pain relief for headache makes it superior over paracetamol. The mechanism of action and formulation of ibuprofen makes it a more preferable alternative for most people seeking relief from headache. However, it is worth noting that individual responses to medications vary dramatically. This is why it is best to consult a healthcare professional for personalised recommendations.

Key Takeaways

Both paracetamol and ibuprofen are wonderful medicines which offer fast relief from pain are easily available in the pharmacies. Their worldwide usage and records of being prescribed by doctors for millions of times make them a reliable solution for common individuals. However, you need to understand the nature of your pain to choose the suitable drug for your condition. Make sure to go through drug leaflets before consuming them to be aware of the side effects, other drug interactions, and dosage instructions. If the pain persists or you feel unwell after having the drug, contact GP London to get in touch with our private doctors and seek prompt advice.  

FAQs

How long does it take for paracetamol to work?

From 30 minutes after a dose of paracetamol is taken, the drug begins to work by easing the pain and reducing the body temperature. Its effect typically lasts up to around 4 to 6 hours.

How often can you take paracetamol?

As per the recommendations of the NHS, adults can have two 500 mg tablets of paracetamol up to 4 times within 24 hours. Always remember that there should be at least 4 hours gap between two doses.

Does paracetamol make you sleepy?

Paracetamol is a widely used drug noted for its analgesic and antipyretic effects. However, the most common harmless side effect of taking paracetamol is drowsiness. So yes, paracetamol can make you sleepy.

Is paracetamol anti-inflammatory?

No, paracetamol is not an anti-inflammatory drug. It functions as an analgesic in relieving pain and as an antipyretic in reducing fever. However, ibuprofen is a popular anti-inflammatory painkiller.

Does ibuprofen reduce swelling?

Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) which treats mild to moderate pain, and also relieves arthritis symptoms including swelling, inflammation, joint pain, and stiffness.

How long does an ibuprofen last?

Although the impact and lasting of action of ibuprofen vary according to individual cases, the drug’s effect typically lasts around 6 to 8 hours on an average. 

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