posted
What's the main difference between these two? Why would one work for headaches while the other doesn't?
Posts: 2867 | Registered: May 2005
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posted
Ibuprofen (aka Motrin, Advil) acts as an anti-inflammatory agent, an antipyretic (reduces fever), and an analgesic ( controls pain). The mechanism of action is thought to be related to inhibition of prostaglandin synthetase at the site of inflammation. It is processed through the kidneys, and toxicity is primarily related to kidneys.
In contrast, acetaminophen (Tylenol) does not reduce inflammation, although it does function as both an analgesic and antipyretic. It reduces pain by elevating the pain threshold, and it reduces fever by affecting the hypothalamic heat regulating center in the brain. Thus, its main effects are "central" (in the brain) rather than "peripheral" (at the local site of the problem). It is processed through the liver, and its primary toxicity is via the liver.
Does that make sense & answer the question?
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Edited to add: In summary, they work differently. Some headaches may involve a local problem (such as, say, inflamed and throbbing blood vessels of a migraine), whereas others may not. Some people may have pain threshold or hypothalamic thermoregulatory centers that are more or less responsive to this medication, just because of how they are born.
posted
Aah. That's why Advil helps my migraines while I don't even bother with Tylenol. I don't bother with Aleve either, anymore. Although I used to think it helped, but I used it when I also had time to sleep through the pain of a migraine. I don't have that luxury anymore.
Posts: 2880 | Registered: Jun 2004
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posted
Hm. Advil never works on my headaches, but Tylenol/Excedrin do. This makes me want to go on a supersecret mission into my brain to find out what's going on in there.
Posts: 2867 | Registered: May 2005
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posted
Aleve is great for my non-migraine pain. And especially for fever since I don't have to take it as much as advil.
Posts: 7085 | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
So if my headaches are tension headaches (which I think they are), is that why tylenol works and advil doesn't - because nothing's really inflammed?
posted
Ibuprofen is the only thing that works when I feel a migraine coming on. It's also the only thing that works if I'm an hour or two into any sort of headache. I must take 3 however.
My reaction to Tylenol is: Why bother?
Posts: 511 | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
I'm wondering what sort of reactions you migraine sufferers have had to Imitrex, if you've tried it?
I felt queasy and not at all good... even more than usual during a migraine. It didnt' help the pain--or if it did, I was distracted by the sick to my stomach horrible feeling.
I know someone who throws up from taking it.
Has anyone found it to be the miracle cure they say it is? I sure haven't. I won't use it again.
Posts: 2880 | Registered: Jun 2004
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posted
How do you tell the difference between a tension headache and a migraine? And if it's a tension headache, what do you do about it? Because when I get tension headaches, nothing, but NOTHING helps, even that stupid tension headache Exedrin. Lies. All lies.
posted
Ibuprofen is a miracle drug for me. When I had an abscess needing a root canal, the ibuprofen I used did far more for my than even the hydrocodone did. The hydrocodone just made me sleepy and nauseous, the ibuprofen actually helped the pain in a very noticable way.
Granted, this situation was basically the ideal condition for Ibuprofen to help, but I've found that it works well on pretty much all pain I get.
I've had shin splints from playing tennis twice a week for about a month and a half now. At first this was a problem, but now I just pop a couple ibuprofen about 30 minutes before playing, and I don't feel a thing (until after we are done playing, and the Ibuprofen wears off).
Again though, painful inflamation is what causes shin splints, so its another case where an anti-inflamatory does the trick quite nicely.
I have never noticed any solid noticable effects from taking Tylenol. I've never said "Wow, I can clearly tell the tylenol is working" like I have for Ibuprofen.
The other over the counter drug that has noticable effects for me is pseudoephedrine (either in DayQuil or Sudafed). Exactly 20 minutes after I take it, my congestion goes away. Exactly 4 hours after that, the congestion instantly returns, and its time to take another .
For a headache, its my understanding that Excedrin works well, because it has a high dose of caffeine in it.
Posts: 5656 | Registered: Oct 1999
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quote:Originally posted by Luet13: My reaction to Tylenol is: Why bother?
Heh, that's my reaction to Advil. My friends wanted me to come over a few nights ago but I didn't want to move because of my headache. They promised me Advil when I got there, but I was like it won't work! I tried it anyway and all it gave me was a memory of headache, which although isn't as bad, is still not fun.
Acetametaphin is the only thing that has ever worked for my really bad headaches. When I had a fever, I popped Ibuprofen like crazy, and it worked.
I forget what the exact difference between tension and migraine headaches are, but there are websites with lil charts that give you all the descriptions.
Posts: 2867 | Registered: May 2005
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posted
Imitrex made my heart flutter, increased my sense of unreality and made me even more nauseous.
It helped my migraine though.
But the side effects were too dangerous and I stopped taking it.
My new migraine pill is called Amerge. If my first prescription ever gets here I'll tell you if it's any good (taking it 4 times from samples is not a large enough sample size.)
I wish it had arrived in time to stop my saturday-yesterday headache. (though yesterday it was a sinus headache and it wouldn't have helped.)
My wife has tried it in several incarnations over the years. I doesn't work for her and yes gives her nausea.
I find that it's important for me to switch back and forth between ibuprofen and aceteminophen.
I tend to use ibuprofen for minor headaches and muscle pains; tylenol for major headaches and when I have a high fever + muscle pain. For some reason, tylenol works better than advil on me when I have a really bad case of the flu. But if I end up taking a lot of tylenol over a short period of time (not above the recommended dosage -- just if it's over a few days), then I'll switch to advil.
-------- Xavier:
Your understanding of Excedrin is correct. One Exedrin and a caffeinated soda is the only non-prescription thing that works okay on my wife's migraines. Two tablets is too much for her.
Regarding pseudphedrine -- I've found that using OTC decongestants don't really work that well. I haven't experimented much with Claritin because of the cost and because the few times I have taken it, it didn't seem to do much.
I've found that the prescription nasal sprays are the best thing for sinus problems -- I prefer rhinocort to flonase and whatever the other ones are called.
Posts: 3423 | Registered: Aug 2001
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posted
Zal: Try generic claritin. You can get it at *spit* walgreens under the name "walitin"
My magic migraine elixer is Advil+sudafed+a pot of coffee. When they're really bad that's what I use. (at least until my amerge prescription arrives. GRR!)
The sudafed makes me very slightly high and thus able to deal with the pain better.
Posts: 7085 | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
Plain aspirin is the wonder drug for me. I have found nothing that works as well. Unfortunatly, I am now on a cumedin regemin for the next forever and can't take aspirin anymore. That leaves acetaminophen as the only, poor, substitute. Its a good thing I only need 2 or 3 every couple of months.
Posts: 1167 | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
I really wish that druggies never discovered things to do with pseudoephedrine. It is really effective on my husband's sinus problems, and it will really suck if they have to stop making it completely.
I know right now you can still get it, you just have to ask behind the counter. But since they're developing a new version of decongestant, my fear is that they will switch completely over to that--which is fine, IF it is just as good.
Posts: 2880 | Registered: Jun 2004
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posted
I find the new, nonpseudoephedrine Benadryl sinus to be much better than the original. The old one would get me way, way too hopped up. So I'd be woozy and tired, but also completely energized at the same time. It made me restless and irritable and miserable.
posted
Artemisa - I'm on coumadin as well. While you aren't suppose to have aspirin... if you take one, and then have a lot of spinich, green tea, or other heavy vit-K foods, your INR shouldn't wobble too much.
Also, ask your doctor for some pain medicine - there's a number of prescription ones that shouldn't interfere with your INR. My doctor trusts me to not be an idiot about using them, so I have prescriptions for both tramadol (medium-level painkiller) and vicodin.
Posts: 2409 | Registered: Sep 2003
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quote:Originally posted by pH: Yeah, how does Naproxen work?
Naproxen (Aleve) is an NSAID , just like ibuprofen (and aspirin). So it would work similarly to ibuprofen, but CT would know the details in terms of specific receptors and such.
IME, acetaminophen is best for headaches (except stress headaches, which are really muscle aches), and ibuprofen is best for muscular aches.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
With both my children, I've used ibuprofen as my primary form of pain control after childbirth. Unfortunately, that contributes to my bleeding, but it's worth it for the pain relief. I always use acetaminophen for headaches (although it can't touch migraines.) If I pull a muscle, it's ibuprofen. For fever, nothing works like acetaminophen for me. For menstrual cramps, it's a heavy dose of ibuprofen at the same time as a dose of tramadol (ibuprofen isn't enough for the bad months, only the really really really easy months.)
My husband, OTOH, seems to work differently. He takes ibuprofen for headaches, acetaminophen for muscle aches-- and surprisingly (to me), that works better for him than the other way around. Similarly, acetaminophen seems ineffective on fevers in my daughter, while ibuprofen will knock them right down. I guess they're just wired differently. (When she says she has a headache, and demands medicine, we give her a Tums; it won't hurt her to get some extra calcium, as she's not big on milk, and she's young enough to believe us when we tell her it will make her headache go away. It seems to be a very effective placebo.)
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
Hey, I'm on Naproxen right now! It doesn't seem to be working too well though, and apparently the next step in the cure-the-tendinitis game is steroid injections of some sort. Given the face the nurse made when the doctor suggested it, I'm not sure I'm looking forward to that...
Naproxen does work wonders for menstrual cramps unresponsive to usual Midol/Tylenol type meds though. At least for me.
Posts: 624 | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
Based on the first post, I see why I was told that ibuprofen is a lot better than acetaminophen for cramps.
Posts: 1757 | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
I've never taken naproxen. I do take salsalate, another NSAID related to asprin, for my mystery bone pain...
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
I generally use ibuprofen for headaches and naproxen for other muscle aches (except for the "exertion headaches" I've been getting lately -- had Diclofenac prescribed for those).
Considering how well acetaminophen works for me, I'll probably only use it if I have to. For example, if I get pregnant.
posted
Pop if you get pregnant, I think we all need to take something.
Personally, I prefer NSAID's for almost any type of pain. The prescription painkiller I'm on for the bone pain I get associated with the chemo (well, associated with the drugs that are treating my chemo side effects) is Lortab, a combination of acetominophen and hydrocodone. It works well but makes me a little light-headed so I only take it at night, when I'm not going to be driving and when there are other adults in the house to be responsible for the kids. Fortunately I only need it for 4-5 days each chemo cycle - I'm not a big fan of painkillers and would prefer not to have to take them. I guess I'm fortunate that I'm not prone to addiction, because I've never understood people who enjoyed the effect of painkillers.
Unfortuantely, working in the pharamceutical industry I saw more than one sales rep who fell prey to painkiller addiction. Very sad. Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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