I'm begging people to not be afraid of OTC pain meds.
OTC pain meds are not a devil’s bargain or a moral failing. They are a tool to reduce unneeded suffering. They do not destroy your organs if taken correctly, and there is no reward for the people who take the fewest pills in life.
Take what helps, and take it safely! If you have prescription meds or other health issues, always check for possible interactions/adverse effects.
@cautionramen I know the answer to that!
So, acetaminophen/ paracetamol/ Tylenol is kinda garbage on its own because it doesn't work directly on the site of pain. Instead, it affects the BRAIN- it temporarily dials down your brains pain receptors. (Your body can heal itself better when it isn't in pain.) (Weirdly, this also means it can cause a temporary drop in feelings of empathy and existential dread, because your brain doesn't really distinguish physical and emotional pain) Because of this, it has fewer side effects than NSAIDs, but is less powerful.
However, it's an amazing buff FOR NSAIDS (and opiods. It gets mixed with a lot of opiods too.) Because it makes your brain chill out, the other meds can work more effectively at a lower dose, which means fewer side effects and lower chance of overdose. (So taking 200mg of Tylenol WITH 200 MG of ibuprofen is safer and more effective than taking 400 of either of them alone.)
That's why Tylenol gets mixed into *everything* (and that's why people need to check med labels, because it's easy to take multiple combo meds with Tylenol at once without realizing what you're doing.)
