Are you taking too many painkillers?
THE AVERAGE UK ADULT POPS MORE THAN 300 PILLS A YEAR. MICHELLE O’CONNOR REPORTS ON HOW RELYING ON OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDICINE COULD LEAD TO SERIOUS PROBLEMS
DO YOU pop a painkiller every time you have a headache? You’re not alone.
In the UK, the average adult takes 373 painkillers each year, according to a report by the British Medical Association, with one in 20 taking at least six painkillers every time they feel ill.
However, this reliance on over-the-counter tablets can have serious repercussions.
TV presenter Judy Finnigan, 70, revealed recently she needed two lifesaving blood transfusions when she developed stomach ulcers after taking ibuprofen “like sweeties” to help with a painful knee injury.
Stuart Gale, chief pharmacist at oxfordonlinepharmacy.co.uk, explains everything you need to know about the four main painkillers you can buy over the counter without a prescription.
Don’t take painkillers along with other medicines, such as combination cold and flu medicines, which can contain the same drugs. And don’t take ibuprofen with non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) creams and gels.