9781422274286

OVER THE COUNTER PAIN MEDICATION

In addition to opioids, there are other drugs that are used to relieve pain. Many of these pain relievers, or analgesics, are over-the-counter medications that can be purchased in a drug store or grocery store. They include drugs like acetaminophen (sold as Tylenol), as well as a class of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen sodium (sold under the brand name Aleve). More than 100 billion aspirin tablets, over 30 billion doses of other NSAIDs, and 25 billion doses of acetaminophen are sold each year. Although attention is generally focused on the negative health effects of opioids, other pain-relieving drugs can also have negative side effects. Overuse of NSAIDs can lead to high blood pressure and damage to the kidneys, stomach, liver, and intestines. Each year nearly 500 people die from side effects of taking products containing acetaminophen. One of themwas nineteen-year-old University of Oklahoma student Madalyn Byrne. When she was troubled by a toothache, she used extra-strength Tylenol to relieve the pain. Madalyn was taking more than the recommended amount—about nine pills a day over a period of more than a month. One day, Madalyn’s roommates discovered her unconscious. They rushed her to the hospital, but there was nothing the doctors could do. The acetaminophen had damaged her liver, leading to a heart attack.

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Who Uses Painkillers?