Over-the-counter medications for headache relief are frequently often considered to be completely harmless. These medications can be purchased easily, no prescription needed!
Over-the-counter pain medications can cause harm. Let’s examine the possible problems that could occur with long-term use of some of the more popular pain medications.
Paracetamol over time can lead to kidney impairment, even failure. Ibuprofen can result in liver dysfunction and stomach ulcers. In 1991, the Journal of Rheumatology published an article about NSAIDS (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs), and how they result in over 100,000 hospital stays every year in the US because of their adverse effects on the gastrointestinal system.
If you take aspirin often, you might be dismayed to read this next sentence. Regular use of aspirin puts you in a higher risk group for developing pancreatic cancer. 31,000 Americans a year are diagnosed with it and almost every victim dies within 3 years under medical care. A study of 88,000 nurses showed that those who took 2 or more aspirins every week for twenty or more years had a fifty-eight percent higher risk of pancreatic cancer. Using 14 or more aspirin every week placed the nurses at 86% more risk than non-users (2).
The Sunday Telegraph in November 2009 featured an article titled “Are We Hooked On Painkillers?”(3) In the article, it was noted that “They’re convenient, accessible and effective, but there is a dark side to our use of analgesics?” Some of the points made in the article include:
It is very easy to buy anti-inflammatory medications now: tablets that were once prescription-only are now as easy to buy as toothbrushes.
Pain-killers may be masking a more serious problem: That recurring headache could, for example, stem from a neck injury that needs care. Or it could be stress-related…”
Recent research has challenged the study that recommended aspirin should be taken regularly by older men and women. The findings were presented by the University of Edinburgh’s Professor Gerry Fowkes at the European Society of Cardiology Congress, held recently in Spain. ‘Our research suggests that aspirin should not be prescribed to the general population, although it does have benefits for people with established heart disease or other conditions.’ says Professor Fowkes
“Dr Richard Stark (an Australian neurologist) says that worldwide, approximately four per cent of people have headaches 15 days or more per month, and about a quarter to a half of these are overusing over-the-counter medications to treat their ailments.”
It seems analgesics are not as safe as we might believe!
Please remember that your headaches may have a serious or sinister underlying problem, and should always be checked by a qualified doctor. You might also like to consult your chiropractor. A chiropractor will not prescribe analgesics: rather, they provide headache relief through chiropractic care, nutritional advice and stress management advice.
1  Fries James F., “NSAID Gastropathy: The Second Most Deadly Rheumatic Disease? Epidemiology and Risk Appraisal”, Journal of Rheumatology, 1991, (Supplement 28), Vol.18, pp.6-10
2  Schernhammer, ES, Kang, JH, Chan, AT et al., “A Prospective Study of Aspirin Use and the Risk of Pancreatic Cancer in Women.” Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2004;96{1}:22-28.
3  Doherty, Elissa. “Are We Hooked On Painkillers?” The Sunday Telegraph Nov. 1, 2009 

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