Paracetamol or ibuprofen?

Paracetamol and ibuprofen are both effective for pain relief and reducing fever. Their actions and side-effects are not the same, however.

Ibuprofen is generally preferred for muscle pain, such as back pain, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) with cramps, and osteoarthritis, according to the British Medical Journal.

(The mood swings, water retention and cramps of PMS can be addressed by a combination of magnesium and Vitamin B complex. Take it at least a week before menstruation is due.)

If you have problems with general bleeding, or bleeding in your gastro-intestinal system, such as a stomach ulcers, rather use paracetamol.

People with liver problems should avoid taking ibuprofen, and anyone with a heart condition, who has had a stroke, or who suffers from a peptic ulcer should use it with care, as it thins the blood slightly.

IBUPROFEN AND COVID-19

With the onset of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), ibuprofen has been in the news, with the World Health Organization changing its stance on the medication. After initially advising that patients with COVID-19 symptoms should avoid using non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, it updated its advice, saying it did not recommend against using these drugs, as there were no studies showing that they worsened the condition of COVID-19 patients.

• Johanita Louw has had a lifelong interest in holistic nutrition. Email her at farmersweekly@caxton.co.za. Subject line: Holistic health.

there are no rose-coloured spectacles here. As the characters enjoy luxurious stays in Umhlanga and Mauritius, lies and betrayals re-emerge from a generation ago, or embed themselves to haunt the new generation.

A web of deliberate and unplanned conspiracy has to be unravelled, and Higginson deviously suggests that one should beware of both strangers and the familiar bearing gifts. • Farmer’s Weekly’s book reviewer, Patricia McCracken, is a features and investigative journalist.

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