Life can be a pain. We all experience various types of pain at different times: headache, back pain, period pain, neck pain, and tummy ache are known to most of us. Some have injuries. Others develop nasty arthritis. The list of causes and types of pain is long. Modern medicine can offer quite a lot in the area of pain control. This short article looks at the most commonly used painkillers aimed at home use, and discusses the key points around each.

In approximate order (of severity of need and therefore strength) these are the typical medical approaches to pain management that can be applied at home:

  • In some cases pain is mild enough or short-lived enough to not really require any intervention at all. Some explanation and reassurance may suffice.
  • Paracetamol (e.g. Panado). This simple painkiller is safe and well tolerated by children and adults. It works well for mild pain. Most households keep some on hand.
  • Anti-inflammatories (e.g. Brufen, Voltaren, Disprin, Aspirin). These medicines reduce swelling and alleviate mild/moderate pain. They are often used for musculo-skeletal problems like injuries and arthritis). The major drawback here is that all anti-inflammatories can be harsh on the stomach (increase acid production) and should be avoided by anyone with indigestion, heartburn, or stomach ulcer problems.
  • This is an opiate (same class as morphine) and as such, addictive and habit forming. It is nonetheless quite an effective painkiller for moderate pain. Codeine can be used effectively in short spells in order to avoid dependency and addiction.
  • Paracetamol, anti-inflammatories, and codeine, are often used in various combinations. One example is the well-known “Myprodol” that includes all three. This can be a very effective approach for moderate/severe pain although care must be taken with dosage and avoiding duplicate-double dosing (e.g. People may use Myprodol and Paracetamol together, which creates a double/overdose of the Paracetamol ingredient.).
  • Stronger stuff. Doctors have an array of stronger prescription meds that can be extremely effective. But these are usually more potent, potentially dangerous, almost always addictive substances that can only really be safely used by professionals.

Hopefully this very simple article helps to demystify and clarify an approach to pain and its management at home or family scenarios.

Written by Dr Colin Burns