# Just how effective can OTC anti-inflammatories be for joint pain & strains? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 26, 2026, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-can-otc-anti-inflammatories-be-for-joint-pain-strains/1028790 "2026-03-26T16:38:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2026, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-can-otc-anti-inflammatories-be-for-joint-pain-strains/1028790/21 "2026-03-26T21:23:10Z")
> [@bobsmom101](#): > > My doc has referred me for physical therapy, but I haven’t signed up yet. Have you tried that & did it help? Yes I have, and yes it did. Mostly the therapy was designed to build up (or build back up) the muscles that support the joint, to take some of the pressure off the joint itself. The purpose of the therapy sessions is for the therapist to learn what specific pains and motion problems you are having, to devise appropriate exercises, and for you to learn and practice the exercises. The goal is for you to be able to do the exercises yourself at home, after your therapy sessions are over. Like any muscle exercise, you have to keep them up in order to maintain the benefit. There are a lot of physical therapy places out there, and some of them seem possibly a little dodgy to me. The orthopedic practice that diagnosed me has their own therapy facility, and they all seemed very competent and dedicated. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2026, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-can-otc-anti-inflammatories-be-for-joint-pain-strains/1028790/22 "2026-03-26T21:30:21Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > > [@bordelond](#): > > > > purposefully overdose on Extra Strength Tylenol (3 x 500 mg? > > > Severe liver damage may occur if you take more than **4000 mg** of acetaminophen in 24 hours. > > [Proper TYLENOL® Dosage for Adults | TYLENOL®](https://www.tylenol.com/safety-dosing/dosage-for-adults) > > Though I have seen 3,000 mgs as the MDD (Maximum Daily Dose). No doubt I’ve been lucky. My personal tolerance must be higher than those numbers. All the same, I’m not inclined to rely on that going forward. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2026, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-can-otc-anti-inflammatories-be-for-joint-pain-strains/1028790/23 "2026-03-26T21:35:23Z")
> [@bobsmom101](#): > > Oooh, thank you! I’ve got bursitis/arthritis in my shoulder & hip and because I walk funny my back hurts too. I’ve been taking 600 ibuprofen when I get up in the a.m., just so I can bend over to feed the cats, then 2 naproxens before bed to get a couple hours sleep. I didn’t think of combining them, but will try now & report back. As I research this now … combining different NSAIDs seems to be contraindicated. Ergh. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2026, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-can-otc-anti-inflammatories-be-for-joint-pain-strains/1028790/24 "2026-03-26T21:37:38Z")
> [@bobsmom101](#): > > And yet Tylenol replaced aspirin (which was no longer trademarked/patented) because aspirin could cause stomach damage. I took Tylenol (at recommended dosages) for run-of-the-mill headaches for years because aspirin gave me stomach aches as a child. Didn’t learn of Tylenol’s dangers until maybe 15 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2026, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-can-otc-anti-inflammatories-be-for-joint-pain-strains/1028790/25 "2026-03-26T21:47:31Z")
Don’t break your ribs again, @wolfpup You wouldn’t get demerol now. It interacts with too many other common prescriptions in bad ways. It’s mostly used in a hospital setting, usually for after anesthesia shakes. I just had a bruised, I believed cracked, rib. I was in pure misery for a week. I usually had (had) opiates available, but at that time I couldn’t take anything. I wasn’t breathing deep enough and got pluersy, now let me tell you, that hurt! ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2026, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-can-otc-anti-inflammatories-be-for-joint-pain-strains/1028790/26 "2026-03-26T21:48:28Z")
It seems OTC pain relief has shown a lot of promise. Of course, YMMV and it can depend on the pain being suffered. As always with medical advice here, do no listen to us. Go see your doctor and follow their instructions. Even OTC medicine can have downsides and may not be for everyone. If buying OTC follow dosage instructions on the bottle and do not mix different drugs without a doctor’s instructions. Really…beyond taking an OTC med for an occasional headache or joint pain see a doctor. > Today’s health hack is using a combination of ibuprofen and acetaminophen instead of an opioid for injuries and pain from those injuries. This is all based on a study. Came out in the Journal of the American Medical Association a few months ago. It was eye-opening for me, for a lot of people I work with because we’ve always assumed that opioids worked better. > > So this study, patients got a combination of ibuprofen 400 milligrams and acetaminophen, also known as Tylenol, 1,000 milligrams. These are standard over-the-counter medications, and they compared it to patients who got opioids. Those who got this combination of ibuprofen and acetaminophen did just as well with their pain. So I think the take home from this would be if you’re in the ER and you’re offered opioids, ask for some Tylenol, ask for ibuprofen. Avoid the opioids and avoid that addiction potential. - [SOURCE](https://healthcare.utah.edu/the-scope/health-library/all/2019/03/health-hack-ibuprofen-instead-of-opioids) Also: > Surgeons have found that combining over-the-counter pain relievers can be just as effective as opioids for pain relief, without the negatives of opioid side effects or addiction risk. > > A study published online Jan. 5, 2025, by _The Journal of the American Dental Association_ supports this approach to pain management by showing that taking acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) together after dental surgery controls pain better than prescription opioids. - [SOURCE](https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/over-the-counter-pills-better-than-opioids-after-dental-surgery) ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2026, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-can-otc-anti-inflammatories-be-for-joint-pain-strains/1028790/27 "2026-03-26T21:49:49Z")
> [@bobsmom101](#): > > IMO acetaminophen is a great example of the triumph of marketing over good medicine. For some people, the liver-damaging dose (~12 g) is awfully close to the max therapeutic dose (4 g). 12 grams does not seem very close to 4 grams to me, being 3x the amount. Is there evidence that the use of acetaminophen within recommended doses will cause liver damage over time, or only if overdosed? Because Aspirin can cause damage over time even at recommended doses. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2026, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-can-otc-anti-inflammatories-be-for-joint-pain-strains/1028790/28 "2026-03-26T21:50:09Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > Though I have seen 3,000 mgs as the MDD (Maximum Daily Dose). I am super-fucking paranoid about Tylenol OD ever since a distant acquaintance of mine ended up hospitalized. They survived (probably not around any more, they were the elderly mother of an acquaintance), but it was a pretty stark warning. I limit myself to 2,000 mg/day in whatever combination. Although I’m supposed to stay off of NSAIDs as a regular painkiller (because kidneys), I always keep some around in case of situations where I feel a mix of pills might be necessary to get through a day, which thankfully doesn’t come up often. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2026, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-can-otc-anti-inflammatories-be-for-joint-pain-strains/1028790/29 "2026-03-26T21:52:05Z")
I think one issue with acetaminophen is if the person drinks alcohol. Taking it for hangovers is a 1-2 punch to the liver. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2026, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-can-otc-anti-inflammatories-be-for-joint-pain-strains/1028790/30 "2026-03-26T21:58:06Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Although I’m supposed to stay off of NSAIDs as a regular painkiller (because kidneys), I always keep some around in case of situations where I feel a mix of pills might be necessary to get through a day, which thankfully doesn’t come up often. My exact situation. A prescription for Gabapentin finally made the chronic sciatica pain go away (except for some occasional flare-ups) after over a year. Can’t say enough good about the nurse practitioner that wrote the prescription before I got past “Gabba”. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2026, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-can-otc-anti-inflammatories-be-for-joint-pain-strains/1028790/31 "2026-03-26T22:49:30Z")
Yes, and my doctor mentioned that when he recommended acetaminophen as a go-with for my prescription NSAID. @bobsmom101 seemed to be talking about normal use and didn’t mention alcohol consumption. ---
**Author:** ![bobsmom101](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobsmom101/32/2867_2.png) [@bobsmom101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobsmom101)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2026, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-can-otc-anti-inflammatories-be-for-joint-pain-strains/1028790/32 "2026-03-27T02:27:33Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > 12 grams does not seem very close to 4 grams to me, being 3x the amount The problem seems to be that a lot of “combination” OTC meds (e.g., cough meds, cold meds, headache meds, allergy meds, etc) contain acetaminophen even though it’s not prominently listed on the package. Someone, particularly if elderly, who is trying to home-treat a headache and a cold, who can’t read the fine print, and who may already have borderline liver function, can easily slip into overdose territory. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2026, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-can-otc-anti-inflammatories-be-for-joint-pain-strains/1028790/33 "2026-03-28T03:15:28Z")
Demerol (meperidine or pethidine) is not very useful when taken orally, but as an injection, it’s actually pretty good for intense pain of short duration, like gall- or kidney stones (it also relaxes smooth muscle) and it was used extensively in labor at one time. It, or other narcotics, still is occasionally when the baby is already gone or not expected to live, because it can depress the breathing reflex. OTC NSAIDS certainly work for me! For example, I hurt my knee a while back (not sure how) and for a while, I needed 3 x 200mg ibuprofen, and then 2 x 200mg, and when I didn’t need that, I simply took Tylenol. I never saw my doctor about this, but told him about it later and he said I did it the right way for me. I have non-painful migraines, and a single aspirin, taken when I realize what’s happening (yeah, they’re like that) does the job. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2026, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-can-otc-anti-inflammatories-be-for-joint-pain-strains/1028790/34 "2026-03-28T03:20:17Z")
Prescription naproxen is 250 or 500mg; naproxen sodium, sold OTC in the 220mg dose as Aleve for many years, is 275 or 550mg. Both can be taken twice a day, or 3 times a day for short periods. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2026, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-can-otc-anti-inflammatories-be-for-joint-pain-strains/1028790/35 "2026-03-28T03:25:18Z")
A drug whose toxic dose is 3 times the therapeutic dose is still going to be considered one with a narrow therapeutic margin. Plus, acetaminophen is in so many other OTC and RX combination products, people who aren’t in the know can OD faster than they realize. Many years ago, one of my friends crushed a finger in an accident at work, and was given the now-obsolete drug Darvocet, for which she was allowed to take 6 a day, and told me over the phone that she had taken the maximum recommended dose of Tylenol for breakthrough pain. I nearly blasted out her eardrums with my response! (as in WAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!) She replied, “Oh, was that dangerous?” Since she only did it for a few days, and was otherwise in good health, she wasn’t harmed, but things could have been very different. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2026, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-can-otc-anti-inflammatories-be-for-joint-pain-strains/1028790/36 "2026-03-28T05:51:39Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Demerol (meperidine or pethidine) is not very useful when taken orally, but as an injection, it’s actually pretty good for intense pain of short duration In my very limited experience, I had an injection of Demerol once while a doctor forced a dislocated finger back into its proper position, and had oral Demerol for a very painful rib fracture. The two are very different – the injection sent me into a drug-induced fairy-tale wonderland, while the pills just helped with the pain with minimal side effects, although the prescribing doctor warned me not to drive under the influence, which I did not. I was just happy to be able to lie in bed without pain. So yes, oral Demerol definitely works, but not at all the same as the injection I experienced, although there may also have been a difference in dosage. ---
**Author:** ![sb1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@sb1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sb1953)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2026, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-can-otc-anti-inflammatories-be-for-joint-pain-strains/1028790/37 "2026-03-29T13:15:32Z")
Re: pain esp. pain without cause I have had this sort of pain occur, and when I stopped taking my statin meds,…the pain was gone within days. IMHO many people who live with pain are suffering from a side-effect of an RX medication. I know that every family Dr. wants to lower his patient’s cholesterol but,.. “at what cost” is my question? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-can-otc-anti-inflammatories-be-for-joint-pain-strains/1028790/38 "2026-03-30T14:45:00Z")
Responding as the OP: While I’ve started taking a statin about a year ago, I started this thread about relief of acute pain rather than chronic pain. My knee-lock thing (probably cartilage related) has been happening occasionally for years, well before starting statins. The Achilles-tendon-insertion pain at the heel cropped up the one time last month and hasn’t yet returned. So far, my statin use has not led to a “living with pain” situation. Still, after your post I have read up on that particular side effect and will keep it in mind for the future. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-can-otc-anti-inflammatories-be-for-joint-pain-strains/1028790/39 "2026-04-02T05:53:09Z")
As a breast cancer survivor, I took anastrozole, a hormone blocker, for several years. 40% of the people who take it, regardless of why, develop chronic joint pains for reasons that aren’t understood. 60% do not, and thankfully, I was one of them. Evista (raloxifene), the osteoporosis med, which also alters hormones, occasionally causes mysterious body aches as well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-can-otc-anti-inflammatories-be-for-joint-pain-strains/1028790.md?page=1)