Pain medications are a godsend if you experience severe pain that interferes with your daily activities. However, you need to know how to use them so that they work the best and not to harm yourself.
»Painkillersshould be taken in the first, increasing phase of pain, because then they are most effective. Whenpainis at its apogee, relieving it takes much longer.
» Do not exceed the daily dose recommended by the manufacturer. Read the leaflets carefully and pay attention to the chemical composition of the preparations. There are drugs on sale that contain the same ingredient under different names ( paracetamolis in a dozen or so agents, not only in apapa, panadol).
» Analgesic injections are the fastest, then rectal suppositories, then effervescent tablets, and the slowest are oral tablets (usually they bring relief after 20-40 minutes, so allow time to act, and do not take another pill after 5-10 minutes)
» With prolonged pain, take medications to maintain a constant level of painkiller in the body. When it says on the leaflet that you take it every 4 hours, follow these recommendations.
» If you want to choose the best over-the-counter painkiller for you, read the contraindications section carefully. If you do not suspect inflammation - choose a drug containing paracetamol.
» If the weaker agent does not work after 2-3 days of taking it, it is worth replacing it with a stronger one after consulting a doctor.
» There is no painkiller that would not cause any unwanted side effects if used chronically. Before taking any painkiller, remember that NSAIDs can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, gastrointestinal ulceration and bleeding, allergic rashes, bone marrow, liver and kidney damage, high blood pressure, etc.
» Manufacturers of painkillers are developing newer and newer forms of their preparations, for example tablets" glued "made of microgranules (micropellets) that dissolve evenly in the stomach or are released only in the intestines. These drugs do not directly affect the gastric and duodenal mucosa,but - acting on the entire body - they reach it indirectly. People with peptic ulcer disease must therefore be especially careful (it can get worse).
» When the doctor prescribes a drug that has an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect - you must not stop the treatment as soon as the pain has subsided. After all, this measure must have time to fight the inflammation.
» If the pain persists after 48 hours of using an over-the-counter pain reliever, you must consult your doctor.
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