The Truth About Painkillers

From heart attacks to addiction, we investigate whether readily available pain relief is safe

- Natalia Lubomirski

Aching back? Joint pain? Throbbing headache? If your first response is to rummage through the medicine cabinet for a packet of painkillers, you’re not alone. last year, customers in the U spent more than £658million* on over-the-counter painkillers up 2. from the previous year. But it seems these easily available remedies might be doing us more harm than good, according to reports.

Could common painkillers, such as ibuprofen and naproxen**, really put our health at risk? Scientists at National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan, think so. Their study, which involved more than 56,000 patients with hypertension (high blood pressure), revealed that one in 330 adults who take ibuprofen regularly can expect a heart attack or stroke within four weeks, rising to one in 214 adults who take naproxen. The reason? It’s thought that these pain-relievers may increase blood pressure further in these already ‘at-risk’ groups.

Risky remedies?

Ibuprofen and naproxen belong to a group of medicines called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). They are available as tablets, capsules, creams, gels, sprays and injections and are widely used to relieve pain (including headaches, back pain, period spasms, sprains, toothache and even long-term conditions, such as arthritis). NSAIDs also reduce inflammation and lower a high temperature.

Despite being easily available – often sold for as little as 2p per tablet in shops – and commonly used to relieve pain for millions of people, they are not suitable for everyone. Taken incorrectly or by vulnerable individuals, they can cause dangerous side effects.

Harming our health?