Over-the-Counter Painkillers: What You Need to Know

Over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications are effective, inexpensive, and different. Before you take another dose of acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen, make sure you know if its for pain, inflammation (or both), if theres any reason you should limit its use, or whether you should quit taking it altogether. I continue to be surprised by the number of people who do not distinguish between acetaminophen [example Tylenol] and ibuprofen [example Advil] and use them interchangeably, says Daniel J. Mazanec, MD, Associate Director, Cleveland Clinic Center for Spine Health. The risk of accidental overdose with excessive acetaminophen is the major reason the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recently considered withdrawing combination products from the market.