Contents
What do you need to know about these drugs so as not to harm yourself when taking them?
How to take painkillers wisely?
For pain whose source is unknown, such as a headache due to a drop in blood pressure, just take a standard pain reliever. However, if you experience new, very severe pain, you may need to see your doctor.
The main substances in pain medications are:
- paracetamol – has an analgesic and antipyretic effect, can be used in children. The drug increases the risk of liver damage and asthma.
- ibuprofen – has an analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effect, can be used in children. This substance has a low risk of side effects.
- acetylsalicylic acid – has an analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effect, but it cannot be used in children under 12 years of age. Taking medications with acetylsalicylic acid is associated with the risk of side effects in the digestive system.
It should be remembered that the popular paracetamol is a safe drug in therapeutic doses. It will be risky to exceed the maximum dose, because the drug can be purchased in any quantity due to the over-the-counter availability. Taking higher doses of the drug will not work, and its ineffectiveness may be due to the presence of pain for which the active ingredient will not work. The irreversible effects of an overdose are liver failure. The rule not to exceed the doses stated on the package applies to all painkillers.
Side effects in overdose of painkillers to m.in.:
- liver damage;
- kidney damage;
- bone marrow damage.
How do I take pain medications?
When taking painkillers, be sure to use the lowest effective dose. The second point is reading what the active ingredient is. Down drug overdose may happen accidentally. A different name of the product shown on the box does not mean that it contains a different active substance. The different colors of the boxes do not mean that we are dealing with different drugs. If we reach for two products and do not check what active substance is in a given drug, we can lead to an accumulation of the dose.
How is the original drug different from the generic one?
The difference between the original drugs and their generic counterparts are the supplementary substances present in tablets, dragées or other forms of the drug. The reference medicine and the generic medicine can sometimes be almost identical, but sometimes the difference between the products is significant.
How to safely give your child painkillers?
First of all, the form of the drug should be adapted to the age of the child. The youngest children are rather not given drugs orally, but rectally, in a form suppositories with painkillers – with paracetamol or ibuprofen. Older children are given syrups with pain-relieving substances at the beginning. It can be changed from the liquid form to the tablets after the child is 6 years old.
There are no specific painkillers assigned to different types of disease. Be guided by the source of the pain. If it is inflammation, they use the ibuprofen or naproxen they have anti-inflammatory effect. The selected drug in case of severe pain is combined with paracetamol. Currently, there are preparations that combine ibuprofen with paracetamol in one tablet.
The pain reliever is not working – what to do?
Often the cause the drug does not work there is too little dose. If the dosage suggests administering 1-2 teaspoons, a higher dose should be administered, as too low a drug concentration may not give the desired effect. If your child is being given several medicines, make sure that each one contains a different active ingredient. Poisoning and toxic symptoms may occur as a result of combining several preparations containing the same substance, e.g. paracetamol.
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