What You Should Know About OTC Pain Relievers

(1st of two-part series)

OTC or Over-The-Counter drugs, unlike prescription drugs, are medicines that can be bought without a prescription from a doctor. These are readily available to the public and easily purchased ‘over-the-counter’ from your local pharmacy or drugstore. Because they are bought and used without the supervision of a physician, there is a danger of using the wrong kind of medicine or misusing the medicine.

Although OTC drugs are generally safe and effective, all medications are known to have side effects, mild or otherwise. However, even if a drug has been labeled as an OTC drug, the misuse and abuse of these medications may prove to be very dangerous, even fatal. Particularly when OTC drugs seldom come with product inserts or literature when sold to consumers - these provide important product information pertaining to drug’s proper use, dosage, known side effects, contra-indications and other details.

With the high cost of medical consultation fees and the long wait to see a physician, many OTC drugs have become the ‘quick-fix’ for pain and many other everyday ailments. It has become commonplace for people to ask friends and relatives about medicines instead of seeking proper professional advice. With this upsurge in self-medication, many patients with serious but treatable ailments end up with even a more critical life-threatening condition. Many grave illnesses, particularly those with similar symptoms, have often been mistaken for minor ailments - causing the otherwise avoidable deaths of many individuals. The deadly Dengue virus or Hemorrhagic fever has often been misdiagnosed as a simple flu or fever by many parents. Unknowingly, parents may inadvertently give their child an aspirin to alleviate the fever and pain that accompanies dengue, unaware that this pain reliever’s anti-coagulant (non-blood clotting) effect can actually worsen the child’s condition. This simple mistake can be very costly - causing widespread internal bleeding, even death.

Here are some things you should know about commonly used OTC Analgesics/ Pain Relievers –

Acetaminophen

Originally introduced in 1955 for children’s pain and fever, acetaminophen became available over the counter in 1960. Although comparable to aspirin in its pain-relieving potential and fever-lowering action, acetaminophen has a lesser anti-inflammatory activity. Relatively safe with no adverse effect on the stomach, acetaminophen however, when taken in large doses for long periods of time can run the risk of causing damage to the kidneys. An overdose of more than 15 grams of acetaminophen can lead to irreversible liver disease. Likewise, people who constantly consume large quantities of alcohol and then take an acetaminophen for the headache that ensues, run the highest risk of developing liver problems. Popping an acetaminophen and fasting is also a no no - possibly causing liver toxicity. Great care must be taken in simultaneously using several medicines containing acetaminophen. Many OTC products for colds, cough, allergies, flu, pain, and sinus problems contain acetaminophen. Carefully read the medicine’s content, thereby preventing overlapping or an overdose.

(more next week)

For comments and insights, please write to Pain Management Information Agency (PMIA) P.O. Box 3485 Makati, fax 892-3968 or e-mail at paincare@pmia.com.ph. PMIA was established primarily to increase public awareness and understanding of pain and to recommend appropriate medical and practical ways to manage and control pain.