# Combination of over-the-counter Pain Relievers ?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/combination-of-over-the-counter-pain-relievers/156312
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 20, 2003, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/combination-of-over-the-counter-pain-relievers/156312 "2003-02-20T12:46:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Blown\_Injected](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blown_Injected)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2003, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/combination-of-over-the-counter-pain-relievers/156312/1 "2003-02-20T12:46:10Z")
Is there any benefit as in an increase in pain relief to combining any or all of the four common drugs?
Any harm if one takes only two or three each of all of them at the same time?
Talking about Naproxen, aspirin, Ibuprofen, and Acetaminophen.
TIA
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### Author:  [@The\_Mermaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mermaid)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2003, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/combination-of-over-the-counter-pain-relievers/156312/2 "2003-02-20T13:07:26Z")
Both naproxyn and ibuprofen are NSAIDs (Non Steroid Anti Inflammatory) meds. They both can be a bit hard on the stomach. Taking two or three of all of them probably won’t give you any more pain relief but you will end up with more expensive urine and possibly an ulcer.
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### Author:  [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2003, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/combination-of-over-the-counter-pain-relievers/156312/3 "2003-02-20T13:09:41Z")
Recent research has shown that if one takes aspirin to treat heart disease, ibuprofen can interfere with it.
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### Author:  [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2003, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/combination-of-over-the-counter-pain-relievers/156312/4 "2003-02-20T13:35:49Z")
Actually, [Excedrin](http://www.excedrin.com/8_product_info/8-1a_eselabel.html) is a combination of aspirin, acetaminophen, and caffeine. I don’t know if this is an improvement over single-ingredient drugs, but it must be doing something for someone, because it’s been around a long time.
Robin
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### Author:  [@In\_Conceivable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Conceivable)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2003, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/combination-of-over-the-counter-pain-relievers/156312/5 "2003-02-20T13:36:35Z")
Aspirin and Acetaminophine (along with caffeine) are the main ingredients in Excedrin and other similiar headache relievers.
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### Author:  [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2003, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/combination-of-over-the-counter-pain-relievers/156312/6 "2003-02-20T13:42:05Z")
I know that once, when hubby had a really bad, painful sinus infection, the doctor told him he could “leapfrog” acetominophen and ibuprofen. IOW, he could take a full dose of one med, then two hours later, take a full dose of the other med and so on.
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### Author:  [@Blown\_Injected](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blown_Injected)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2003, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/combination-of-over-the-counter-pain-relievers/156312/7 "2003-02-20T19:08:04Z")
Thanks!
Over did it shoveling snow - my back is killing me.
Naproxen seems to be very good - works as good as percocet(sp?)
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### Author:  [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/combination-of-over-the-counter-pain-relievers/156312/8 "2003-02-20T19:11:45Z")
I’m with **norinew** - I have piggy-backed Motrin & Tylenol to avoid the come-down in effectiveness near the end of the dose. My pediatrician has said this is also ok with kids, better than over-dosing them to avoid a fever coming back, etc.
Like this- Tylenol is good for 4 hrs, so take Motrin at hour 3, Motrin is good for 6 hrs, so take Tylenol at hr 4.5 or 5, etc.
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### Author:  [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/combination-of-over-the-counter-pain-relievers/156312/9 "2003-02-20T20:51:38Z")
Re naproxen: the directions on my bottle say specifically **not** to take it at the same time as aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen. A while back, I asked my pharmacist about switching to aspirin from naproxen as a back problem improved. He said I should wait till it was time for my next naproxen and then switch to the aspirin.
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### Author:  [@The\_Calculus\_of\_Logic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Calculus_of_Logic)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2003, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/combination-of-over-the-counter-pain-relievers/156312/10 "2003-02-20T20:59:19Z")
the safety does for ibuprofin is 800mg 3x a day. you might want to just try that.
Or give up the pills and stay drunk for a few days. That has analgesic properties too.
Hell, throw some cough syrup in the mix, just for shits & giggles.
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### Author:  [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/combination-of-over-the-counter-pain-relievers/156312/11 "2003-02-20T21:08:20Z")
One word. Gastritis. Gastritis is a build up of gasses in your stomach or an inflamation of the lining. One reason the docs recommend a leapfrog is to give your little tummy a chance to digest. Slamming a warm Coke is a good way to get a good belch and relieve the pressure.
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### Author:  [@Blown\_Injected](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blown_Injected)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2003, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/combination-of-over-the-counter-pain-relievers/156312/12 "2003-02-20T21:43:10Z")
Maybe I’ll wash it all down with some cough syrup for a little kicker - lol
I have two different bottles (brands) of Naproxen. Neither one says anything about aspirin.
Just before I started this thread, I took 2 of each. Seemed to help a little more than just any one, but not like there was a compound or four fold effect.
No gastritic effect - maybe just lucky. I took it as I was eating dinner