# What's your "Go To" OTC pain reliever? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 29, 2025, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-otc-pain-reliever/1024392 "2025-10-29T15:33:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-otc-pain-reliever/1024392/41 "2025-10-30T01:40:10Z")
Ibuprofen. Works like a charm on me. After my hysterectomy they prescribed Hydrocodone with Tylenol. As I had suspected, it did diddly squat - opioids don’t tend to work on me. Switched to OTC ibuprofen. So much less pain. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-otc-pain-reliever/1024392/42 "2025-10-30T01:41:55Z")
I can only take acetaminophen. The others cause potential problems. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-otc-pain-reliever/1024392/43 "2025-10-30T02:11:08Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Acetaminophen, and only that. I can’t take NSAIDs anymore, after getting several stomach ulcers. Me too, but because I’m on a blood thinner and can’t take aspirin and the like. It’s always worked fine for me. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-otc-pain-reliever/1024392/44 "2025-10-30T02:11:29Z")
I take acetaminophen for generic headaches. But the last time I felt severe pain (an agonizing headache that lasted 24+ hours when I had Covid), I supplemented it with ibuprofen because I was afraid to go over the recommended dosage. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-otc-pain-reliever/1024392/45 "2025-10-30T11:36:56Z")
Are folk who take acetaminophen and ibuprofen concerned about the potential liver/kidney issues? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-otc-pain-reliever/1024392/46 "2025-10-30T12:08:48Z")
I don’t have any in the house now, but aspirin is my usual go-to and seems to work best on me. Then my next choice is any other NSAID, then Tylenol. If it’s really painful I will sometimes stack or alternate an NSAID and Tylenol, but I very rarely need to take pain killers at all. (Like maybe once every couple of months.) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-otc-pain-reliever/1024392/47 "2025-10-30T12:13:15Z")
When I was a heavy drinker, I absolutely avoided Tylenol for the liver reasons. When I ended up in detox at the hospital, I was a little surprised that both times they prescribed me acetominophen, not ibuprofen or something else. ---
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-otc-pain-reliever/1024392/48 "2025-10-30T12:51:26Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Meloxicam is an NSAID. Yeah, I know. It’s an NSAID that’s supposedly easier on your stomach, but I’ve heard that even Meloxicam can do a number on you if you’re not careful. So I take care to eat a bite or two of food first, then take the Meloxicam with milk, and then eat another bite of food on top of it. I’m hoping that medical science will come up with something even better so that us old folks with dodgy stomachs can take it freely without worries about gastrointestinal bleeding. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-otc-pain-reliever/1024392/49 "2025-10-30T13:05:44Z")
Today I’m trying naproxen. Was figuring, if all seem to work w/ no apparent side effects/sensitivity, I may rotate among the “Big 4.” In my ignorance, that strikes me as a possible way to minimize potential negative effects of longtime use. But maybe that is misguided… ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-otc-pain-reliever/1024392/50 "2025-10-30T13:05:50Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Are folk who take acetaminophen and ibuprofen concerned about the potential liver/kidney issues? Yeah, I think about the effects on my liver. Had a relative die from cirrhosis. Although I’m not at the same risk of that, it did put liver health more on my mind. Rather than taking two pills at once, I usually take just one pill. If that’s not providing enough relief, then I’ll take a second. Frequently, one pill is sufficient. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-otc-pain-reliever/1024392/51 "2025-10-30T13:21:43Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > Had a relative die from cirrhosis. Yeah - my wife had a grandmother die of cirrhosis. Not a drinker. I used to drink heavily, but not for 20+ years. One reason I (perhaps stupidly) choose to tolerate pain I consider not too bad. With pain, my general concern is “will the pain get worse?” or “am I worsening the underlying condtion.” W/ my sorts of musculoskeletal aches and pains various care providers have consistently told me variations of “motion is lotion.” ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-otc-pain-reliever/1024392/52 "2025-10-30T13:29:07Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Are folk who take acetaminophen and ibuprofen concerned about the potential liver/kidney issues? I’m more aware of it these days. I make sure that I don’t take acetaminophen any more frequently than every six hours, and I am a light drinker. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-otc-pain-reliever/1024392/53 "2025-10-30T17:44:48Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Are folk who take acetaminophen and ibuprofen concerned about the potential liver/kidney issues I don’t take ibuprofen (or aspirin) often, and am reasonable about the dosage, and have never had a problem from either. And my liver and kidneys are tested occasionally and always check out fine. So given all of that: no, not at all. ---
**Author:** ![MacDoc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/macdoc/32/18696_2.png) [@MacDoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacDoc)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-otc-pain-reliever/1024392/54 "2025-10-30T18:16:06Z")
**Panadol** daily, then panadol with codeine rarely ( 15 or 30 mg ) version **Celebrex** - wunder drug 🎇 100 or 200 mg makes aging things go away for a while **Robaxin** when I stiffen up. 🦘 **Hydrocodone** when all else fails - tiny little pill that packs a very fast punch. **Sumatriptan** anti-migraine Only 2x500 mg Panadol is daily - every 8 hours. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-otc-pain-reliever/1024392/55 "2025-10-30T20:15:45Z")
I’ve had moderate kidney issues for decades. As I result, I haven’t taken ibuprofen in years. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-otc-pain-reliever/1024392/56 "2025-10-30T20:21:01Z")
Other: I take one Aspirin and one Acetaminophen. Aspirin works well for _most_ pain for me, and APAP works well for almost all pain, and I share others’ fears of the safety of acetaminophen. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2025, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-otc-pain-reliever/1024392/57 "2025-10-31T03:29:57Z")
Beer . ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2025, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-otc-pain-reliever/1024392/58 "2025-10-31T05:23:28Z")
I rarely have anything I need pain reliever for. When I do I take a full dose of each of the 4. So I have no way of knowing which one did the trick or if the combo itself did it. ---
**Author:** ![moes\_lotion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@moes\_lotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moes_lotion)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2025, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-otc-pain-reliever/1024392/59 "2025-10-31T05:38:50Z")
I am fortunate to not often experience pain bad enough to require medication, except for self-induced migraines which I can reliably trigger by going too long between breakfast and lunch or mid-day snack. My go-to is Teva-Lenoltec which contains acetaminophen, caffeine and codeine phosphate. Unfortunately, because too many other people have (or are perceived to have) abused codeine containing OTC medicines, it is becoming harder to find this product here in Ontario. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2025, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-otc-pain-reliever/1024392/60 "2025-10-31T09:54:11Z")
> [@Die\_Capacitrix](#): > > After surgery last month was prescribed [Metamizole](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metamizole) (banned in the US) along with Paracetomol. Metamizole is legal in my country (where it’s known as Optalgin), and it’s my go-to painkiller, often mixed with paracetamol - the two are a potent combo. Optalgin is also the only OTC painkiller available in drops, for serious relief. My second choice is usually ibuprofen. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-otc-pain-reliever/1024392.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-go-to-otc-pain-reliever/1024392.md?page=4)