How can we help with Pain Relief?

Paracetamol relieves pain and lowers fever and is gentle on the stomach, making it a good first choice for headaches and general aches. Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory, so it also helps with swelling — useful for sprains, period pain or dental pain — but it can irritate the stomach and is not suitable for everyone.

Do not take two products that both contain the same ingredient. If you have stomach ulcers, kidney problems, asthma or take blood thinners, speak to a pharmacist before using ibuprofen.

For standard 500mg paracetamol, adults usually take one or two tablets every four to six hours as needed, with a maximum of eight 500mg tablets (4g) in any 24 hours. Always follow the directions on your pack.

Do not take other products that also contain paracetamol at the same time, as many cold-and-flu remedies do. Taking too much paracetamol is dangerous even if you feel fine — seek medical help immediately if an overdose is suspected.

For many people, taking pain relief early and resting in a dark, quiet room helps a migraine settle. Keeping a diary can reveal triggers such as missed meals, dehydration, poor sleep or stress.

See a doctor if migraines are frequent or severe, change in pattern, or come with new symptoms like weakness or vision loss.

Most everyday back pain improves with gentle movement, good posture and over-the-counter pain relief such as paracetamol or an anti-inflammatory gel. Staying active is better than long bed rest.

See a doctor if the pain follows an injury, spreads down your leg, or comes with numbness, weakness or loss of bladder control.

Anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen (taken with food) are often effective for period pain, along with a warm compress and gentle activity. Paracetamol is an alternative if anti-inflammatories do not suit you.

See a doctor if periods are unusually heavy, very painful, or the pattern changes.