Aspirin, Advil, Aleve, Tylenol, Celebrex, Vioxx. Trying to figure which pain reliever is best for which pain is, well, a real pain. That’s why we thank Jane Brody for this easy-to-swallow explanation of the pros and cons of the many pain pills that are pushed upon us. Each one, it seems, is good for one thing and bad for another. Our favorite science writers tells us that Ibuprofen and naproxen don not cause the kind of bleeding problems that aspirin does, but they can irritate the gastrointestinal tract and possibly cause ulcers. Cox-2 inhibitors, sold as Celebrex, Vioxx and Bextra, are less likely to cause gastrointestinal damage, but they can increase the likelihood of heart attacks and strokes. Acetaminophen, sold as Tylenol, has no anti-inflammatory action and does not cause bleeding or gastrointestinal distress, but taking more than 4,000 milligrams a day can damage the liver, particularly if the liver is in the body of someone who likes a drink now and then. Brody doesn’t tell us what’s best for everyone, but she makes it a little easier to figure out what’s right for each of us.
For those of you not willing to sign up for the NY-Times, you can see the full article by Jane Brody here:
http://www.berkshireeagle.com/Stories/0,1413,101%257E25553%257E2855348,00.html
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