Paracetamol and ibuprofen are both commonly used painkillers. But which medicine you need to treat your pain depends on the type of pain you have.
The NHS explains: “Paracetamol and ibuprofen work in different ways, so paracetamol is better than ibuprofen for some types of pain.”
So what is the difference between both painkillers? London doctor and YouTuber Dr Sermed Mezher explained in one of his recent videos.
He said: “We need to know how your body feels pain in the first place.
“In the beginning there was a painful stimulus whether that’s external or internal like a slipped disc, your body sends out a distress beacon calling all local immune cells to come to the area.
“These distress beacons are in the form of cytokines, and the whole reason for this is to aid wound healing and kill any bacteria in the area.
“The influx of immune cells actually causes the area to swell and become painful
“That’s important because your body wants you to not start running marathons when you’ve got an injury.”
Pointing to a diagram of the human body, Dr Mezher said this information couldn’t get to the “motherboard” (brain) if it wasn’t for the wiring (peripheral nerve) which can act like a pain gate.
He continued: “Paracetamol actually reduces your brain’s perception of this peripheral pain, whereas ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory dealing with the source of the pain.”
The NHS says paracetamol is usually best for most types of pain, including headaches and stomach ache. Ibuprofen may be better for period pain or toothache.
Some people find ibuprofen better than paracetamol for back pain.
The usual dose of paracetamol is one or two 500mg tablets at a time up to four times in 24 hours with a maximum of eight tablets in 24 hours. It can take up to an hour to work.
The usual dose of ibuprofen for adults is one or two 200mg tablets or capsules three times a day.