What does fact checked mean?
At Healthfully, we strive to deliver objective content that is accurate and up-to-date. Our team periodically reviews articles in order to ensure content quality. The sources cited below consist of evidence from peer-reviewed journals, prominent medical organizations, academic associations, and government data.
- National Institutes of Health: Acetaminophen
- FamilyDoctor.org: Pain Relievers: Understanding Your OTC Options
The information contained on this site is for informational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for the advice of a professional health care provider. Please check with the appropriate physician regarding health questions and concerns. Although we strive to deliver accurate and up-to-date information, no guarantee to that effect is made.
List of Non-Prescription Pain Relievers
People have long sought medications to relieve pain. The first such pain killers came from plants, and in fact, plants containing salicylate gave us one of the first pain medicines still available today over-the-counter. That medication, originally sold with the brand name Aspirin, led the way for many types of non-narcotic and non-prescription pain killer medicines 1.
If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.
Acetylsalicylic Acid
Acetylsalicylic acid, used from ancient times as salicylate from plants, classifies as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. By 1899, the German pharmaceutical company Bayer provided it as a powder to doctors, calling it Aspirin 1. Because it sold in so many countries without patent protection, the brand name of the drug became its generic name in the minds of most people. Aspirin has few side effects and works to reduce inflammation that causes pain, much the same way that other NSAIDs do 1. Doctors also recommend daily doses of it to help prevent heart attacks.
Naproxen
What Is Tylex 750?
Learn More
Most pain relievers available without a prescription started as prescription medications, usually in significantly higher doses. Naproxen, introduced in 1976 as a prescription-only medicine, later found its way onto store shelves in lower doses. While still available at higher levels from physician orders, naproxen today lines the shelves next to all other over-the-counter medicines. Classified as an NSAID, this drug does produce some common and serious side effects in some people. For example, a naproxen user may experience shortness of breath and other breathing problems as well as chest pain and headaches that require medical aid.
- Most pain relievers available without a prescription started as prescription medications, usually in significantly higher doses.
- Naproxen, introduced in 1976 as a prescription-only medicine, later found its way onto store shelves in lower doses.
Ibuprofen
Like all NSAIDs, ibuprofen primarily treats pain caused by inflammation, such as that experienced with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. However, many people buy it over-the-counter for all types of pain. Ibuprofen--and other NSAIDs -- can help decrease body temperature increases caused by fevers. It can induce the most number of more common side effects of any non-prescription NSAID, such as:
- breathing problems
- urination difficulties
- a rash
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- many others that require medical aid immediately
- Like all NSAIDs, ibuprofen primarily treats pain caused by inflammation, such as that experienced with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Acetaminophen
List of Opiate Prescriptions
Learn More
The most common pain reliever sold over the counter that does not classify as an NSAID works as an analgesic in the central nervous system. This directly deadens pain in the body and also can reduce fevers. Taking more than the recommended amount of acetaminophen can cause some serious medical problems such as nausea, diarrhea and swelling, but no serious side effects occur commonly when taking the medicine.
Related Articles
References
- Drugs.com: Aspirin
- National Institutes of Health: Acetaminophen
- FamilyDoctor.org: Pain Relievers: Understanding Your OTC Options
- Katz JA. COX-2 inhibition: what we learned--a controversial update on safety data. Pain Med. 2013;14 Suppl 1:S29-34. doi:10.1111/pme.12252
- Ricciotti E, FitzGerald GA. Prostaglandins and inflammation. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2011;31(5):986–1000. doi:10.1161/ATVBAHA.110.207449
- The Peoples' Pharmacy. Aspirin vs. NSAIDs: Which Is Best?
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Strengthens Warning of Heart Attack and Stroke Risk for Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs. Updated June 9, 2015.
- Vascular and upper gastrointestinal effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: meta-analyses of individual participant data from randomised trials. The Lancet. 2013;382(9894):769-779. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(13)60900-9.
- Goldstein JL, Cryer B. Gastrointestinal injury associated with NSAID use: a case study and review of risk factors and preventative strategies. Drug Healthc Patient Saf. 2015;7:31–41. Published 2015 Jan 22. doi:10.2147/DHPS.S71976
- Bashir A, Mehta D. Liver Toxicity. In: StatPearls [Internet]. 2019 Jan-.
- Sinnott PL, Dally SK, Trafton J, Goulet JL, Wagner TH. Trends in diagnosis of painful neck and back conditions, 2002 to 2011. Medicine (Baltimore). 2017;96(20):e6691. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000006691
- Machado GC, Maher CG, Ferreira PH, Day RO, Pinheiro MB, Ferreira ML. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for spinal pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2017;76(7):1269-1278. doi:10.1136/annrheumdis-2016-210597
- Dreisinger TE. Exercise in the management of chronic back pain. Ochsner J. 2014;14(1):101–107.
Writer Bio
Carole Anne Tomlinson is a registered nurse with experience in rehabilitation, nutrition, chemical dependency, diabetes and health problems related to the elderly. Tomlinson holds a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice and is presently working on her master's degree in nursing. Her screenplays have been viewed by Merchant Ivory, Angela Lansbury and Steven King's associates.