painkillers

Messenger substances are involved in the transmission of pain to your brain. The basis of the messenger substances are amino acids, which you take in with your food and which reach your brain in small amounts. This is where painkillers come in and inhibit the production of the messenger substances. As a result, pain pills work by relieving pain, inhibiting inflammation, and lowering fever.
Generally, a distinction is made between non-opioid and opioid painkillers. You can find more information on this under "Non-opioid and opioid painkillers".

Depending on gender, body weight, age and other physical characteristics, the amount of painkillers can vary, so you should always ask a doctor for advice. The recommended dosage for adults in self-medication is these values:
Painkillers
Single dose
maximum daily dose
ASS (acetylsalicylic acid)
500 to 1000 milligram
3000 milligram
Ibuprofen
200 to 400 milligram
1200 milligram
Diclofenac
12.5 to 25 milligram
75 milligram
Paracetamol
500 to 1000 milligram
3000 milligram
Naproxen
200 to 500 milligram
600 to 750 milligram
The breakdown into milligrams is more useful here than prescribing a number of tablets. For example, you have already reached the dose of 1200 milligrams of ibuprofen if you take two ibuprofen 600 or three Ibu 400 tablets a day.
You should not exceed these dosage recommendations without consulting your doctor. Even slight overdoses can leave permanent damage in your body and lead to an increased risk of heart attack.

This depends on the painkiller and the person taking it. Most tablets reach their maximum effect after about one to two hours.
If you need pain relief as quickly as possible, you're best off with remedies in liquid form. Effervescent tablets, granules or soft capsules can start working in as little as 20 minutes.
How quickly painkillers take effect depends on a number of factors. A full stomach slows down the effect of the medication and thus the pain relief. Interaction with other medicines can also affect the effect of the tablets. In a petite person, the active substance finds its way into the bloodstream more quickly than in an overweight person.

This depends on the painkiller and different factors. The effect of a tablet usually lasts between four and six hours, but this varies from person to person. Experts therefore recommend that there should be at least a six hour break between each dose.
If you take painkillers with food, you delay the onset of action, but the duration of action is usually the same. Again, this varies depending on the physical characteristics of the person taking the painkiller.

Most painkillers should be taken for a maximum of three to seven days in a row. After this period, you should stop taking painkillers and take a break. In general, experts recommend a maximum of ten days per month. Taking painkillers too often can have far-reaching side effects and harmful consequences.
Experts therefore recommend that you keep the duration and dosage of painkillers to a minimum and, if necessary, use other medicines prescribed by your doctor.
If possible, you should combat discomfort primarily with non-drug methods such as physiotherapy, heat, cold, massage or exercise training. Get to the bottom of your pain, because you should never take painkillers for weeks without consulting a doctor.

You should be aware that painkillers with higher doses are not always available over the counter. For example, ibuprofen requires a prescription at a dose of 600 milligrams per tablet and diclofenac at a tablet dose of 50 milligrams. Acetylsalicylic acid is generally available over-the-counter, but there is a limit to the amount you can buy at the pharmacy at one time.
As a general rule, you should always take the smallest possible dosage and only take the medicine for as long as is absolutely necessary. If there is no improvement after two days, you must consult a doctor in any case, in order not to endanger your health and to exclude serious diseases.

Painkillers and alcohol are a dangerous combination that you should avoid, as both substances affect the liver through toxic breakdown products. If your liver is struggling with both at the same time, the breakdown slows down and the liver toxins damage your organ all the longer, so that even poisoning is possible.
So-called flush reactions can also occur, in which nausea, sweating and heart palpitations can take place. Even small amounts of alcohol in combination with painkillers can lead to severely impaired perception, which is particularly dangerous in road traffic.
However, the time interval is decisive, because the more hours there are between painkillers and alcohol, the lower the risk of harmful side effects. However, everyone needs different amounts of time to metabolise alcohol and painkillers, depending on their age, weight and gender.
If you do not want to take any risks, wait with the glass of wine until the next day and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure.

Pregnant women should not choose the remedy, dosage and duration of intake independently and should first consult their gynaecologist. As a guide, these three common active ingredients:
Paracetamol: For acute pain or fever, you are most likely to take the active ingredient paracetamol as a pregnant woman. Used responsibly, it is not considered to be dangerous for mother and child. You should take it for as short a time as possible and in the lowest effective dose.
Ibuprofen: If you need a painkiller and anti-inflammatory from the group of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), ibuprofen is the best choice. You should not take ibuprofen after the 28th week of pregnancy, as it can cause heart and kidney problems in your baby.
Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA): As a pregnant woman, you should avoid this substance. From the 28th week of pregnancy, you are no longer allowed to use ASA as a painkiller or fever reducer.
Basically, you should relieve pain during pregnancy as long as possible with alternative measures.