The question here really should be which is best out of Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen for joint pain, these are the active ingredients of the brand names Advil and Tylenol and it would entirely depend upon the kind of pain being experienced. According to
www.webmd.com Ibuprofen is recommended for alleviating moderate and severe join pain, while Acetaminophen is useful for relieving milder aches and pains, although it is advised that due care to be taken when taking this particular drug as there is a potential risk of liver damage, especially if taken with alcohol.
- So you're saying Advil is better, why?
Well besides them saying so on their website: "The [over the counter] medicine in Advil is the number 1 doctor recommendation for joint pain" and we all know we can trust big pharmacy corporations. Ibuprofen is a much more powerful and longer lasting than Acetaminophen.
- Does that mean you recommend Advil?
Well I wouldn't recommend any medicines over the internet, and I certainly wouldn't recommend acting on advice sourced exclusively from any website, it is important to always consult a medical professional in these circumstances. In saying that, as previously mentioned it would all depend on the severity of the pain. If the patient is suffering from mild pains then Acetaminophen would be sufficient, anything other than Ibuprofen would likely be the more effective pain killer.
- If Advil is a stronger product, even if the pain is only mild, why would anyone ever bother with Tylenol?
Ibuprofen can cause gastro-intestinal problems and as is advised to be taken with food, where as Acetaminophen is milder on the stomach and so can be taken without food. In other words, why increase the chances of problems with side-effects by taking a stronger drug.
- What if neither of these medicines works?
Then perhaps a stronger pain killer is needed? If this is the case then the patient should speak to his or her doctor, who will be able to assess the situation and prescribe much stronger pain killers than available in the local drug store if warranted.
