In order of strength (starting with the weakest) there are: non-opioid painkillers, such as paracetamol. mild opioids, such as codeine. strong opioids, such as morphine.
Acetaminophen. Acetaminophen is usually recommended as a first line treatment for mild to moderate pain. It might be taken for pain due to a skin injury, headache, or conditions that affect the muscles and bones. Acetaminophen is often prescribed to help manage osteoarthritis and back pain.
If you have mild-to-moderate pain, paracetamol is often the best painkiller to try first. But NSAIDs such as ibuprofen can be better for pain associated with inflammation. You can switch to a different painkiller if the first one you try doesn't ease your pain.
Acetaminophen is considered the safest OTC painkiller for long-term use because it's thought to have fewer side effects than the other options.
Paracetamol is often recommended as one of the first treatments for pain, as it's safe for most people to take and side effects are rare.
Because ibuprofen has a strong anti-inflammatory effect, it is more effective than paracetamol at controlling certain types of pain, including rheumatoid arthritis, period pain, and muscular injuries. Ibuprofen is also available in a variety of forms.
An easy pill to swallow for the one in three who don't know the difference anyway, but ibuprofen's anti-inflammatory firepower blows paracetamol out of the pharmacy. Just use the lowest effective dose, and use sparingly.
What's the safest OTC painkiller for an aging parent? For most older adults, the safest oral OTC painkiller for daily or frequent use is acetaminophen (brand name Tylenol), provided you are careful to not exceed a total dose of 3,000mg per day.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid similar to morphine but up to 100 times more potent. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is among the most abused pain relievers in the U.S. and the leading cause of overdose deaths. More than 80,000 Americans died from an opioid overdose in 2021.
Acetaminophen (Tylenol and other brands) is usually effective for mild pain and is easy on the stomach.
Usually, the first step to deal with pain is to try a simple pain medicine like paracetamol on a regular basis. Sometimes this is combined with a further medicine like ibuprofen. If this is not effective then the next step is generally a stronger pain relief medicine like codeine or tramadol.
Panadol Actifast for fast relief
With 2X faster disintegration and absorption than standard paracetamol tablets, Panadol Actifast relieves pain faster.
The evidence is that it probably does not work at all for chronic pain. Large, good and independent clinical trials and reviews from the Cochrane Library show paracetamol to be no better than placebo for chronic back pain or arthritis.
Ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve) are both NSAID pain relievers that are fast and effective at providing pain relief, reducing inflammation, and fighting a fever. Ibuprofen works in as little as 20 minutes, whereas naproxen needs about an hour to take effect.
All Panadol products contain paracetamol.
Panadol is an over-the-counter pain relief medication, that provides effective temporary relief from pain and discomfort associated with many different common conditions – including headache, muscular aches (including back pain), period pain, arthritis/osteoarthritis, toothache, migraine headache, cold & flu symptoms.
Nurofen relieves pain and reduces inflammation and temperature as well as relieving headaches and other types of pain. It also relieves cold and flu symptoms. For oral administration and short-term use only.
Aspirin, ibuprofen and paracetamol are all effective painkillers. Aspirin may be better than paracetamol for period pain or migraines although if you have heavy periods, it can make them heavier. NSAIDs such as ibuprofen are considered better than paracetamol for back pain.
It's safe to take ibuprofen with paracetamol or codeine. But do not take ibuprofen with similar painkillers like aspirin or naproxen without talking to a pharmacist or doctor.
The primary difference is that ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), meaning that it treats inflammation. Paracetamol does not. For example, paracetamol can be taken to treat the pain of arthritis, but it will not treat the inflammation which is causing the pain.
Indeed, most packets of Nurofen and ibuprofen tablets contain the exact same dose of the same active chemical, so are virtually the same product but at a hefty price difference. Both products are effective anti-inflammatory agents, offer relief for mild to moderate pain and are antipyretic (fever reducing).
A hypersensivity mechanism of liver injury was the most prevalent liver reaction. Ibuprofen has the highest liver safety profile among NSAIDs and showed no severe liver injury in larger studies. Along with paracetamol and aspirin, it is considered one of the most common over the counter NSAIDs sold in the world.
Acetaminophen is harder on the liver than ibuprofen. The liver is the main organ responsible for breaking down acetaminophen. When taken occasionally, and at recommended doses (no more than 4,000 mg per day), it shouldn't cause any liver damage.
Naproxen. Naproxen (Aleve) is the most powerful anti-inflammatory pain reliever available without a prescription. It is especially effective for sprains, sunburns and arthritis and other conditions. Similar doses of Naproxen tend to last longer than other non-prescription pain relievers.