Treat Any Pain Like A Doctor, Prescription-Free
⌚️ read time: 5 minutes
Today I’m sharing the surprisingly unknown way to easily treat any pain without a prescription.
And this method is hiding in plain sight.
As you might imagine, I get asked about treating pain all the time. Let me give you my framework — no prescription required.
Pain control is more basic than you might think
The strategies I’m about to tell you apply to treating just about any pain under the sun: a sprain, tendinitis, arthritis, broken bone…even post-surgery (truly!).
And what’s great is that these medications are all available over the counter. Say goodbye to refills, long lines, and never-ending phone holds.
Even better, this is all actually much more simple than it seems. You may walk down the pharmacy aisle and get the impression that there are limitless different types of pain medication.
But in reality, there are really only two types.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Ex: ibuprofen (brand names Advil, Motrin), aspirin (brand name Bayer), or naproxen (brand name Aleve)
Acetaminophen (brand name Tylenol)
A quick note about prescription pain medications
If you’re anything like me, you’re tired of the news headlines about heartbreaking overdose deaths or the rise of opioid addictions. It’s time to modernize our pain control.
Multiple recent studies have shown that over-the-counter NSAIDs (eg, ibuprofen, Advil, Aleve, naproxen, Motrin) with or without acetaminophen (eg, Tylenol) medications are equally or more effective for pain control compared to opioids.
Plus, have you ever taken a prescription pain med? The side effects are miserable. Nausea, vomiting, constipation, lethargy…yuck. And that doesn’t even scratch the surface of the addiction issues (hint: these are mediated by brain chemistry and there’s almost nothing you can do to avoid them).
I actually don’t understand why this is still a discussion. As a society, we can do this. The opioid bubble has popped. It’s time to move on from this class of medications for good.
A basic understanding of how to use NSAIDs
When I ask the vast majority of my patients what they take for pain control, the response is ibuprofen (brand Advil, Motrin). This is a great strategy for acute pain, but it risks missing the larger anti-inflammatory benefit.
The reason for this has to do with a chemical property called half-life. We could go into all kinds of boring science here, but to keep it easy, the half-life points is a measure of the length of time a drug stays in your system before your body filters it out.
The half-life of ibuprofen is very short, somewhere around 2 hours. What that means is that 2 hours after you take it, half the medication is already filtered out of your system.
To maintain effective levels of the medication in your bloodstream, you have to take ibuprofen frequently (every 4-6 hours). This is inconvenient during the day and nearly impossible at night.
It’s also expensive.
So here’s what I recommend instead. When dealing with pain or inflammation, consider naproxen (brand name Aleve — I certainly have no affiliations). Naproxen has a half-life of about 15 hours.
That means you only need to take it twice a day, max.
For one, this is much easier to do. Two, the drug will remain at peak effective treatment levels in your bloodstream for longer.
Rather than feeling the pain relief and anti-inflammatory effects intermittently, like the up-and-down roller coaster ride of ibuprofen, naproxen will sustain the effect over a long period of time.
Surprising secret #1 - Don’t take the medication when you hurt
When taking naproxen for pain or inflammation, instead of just taking it when you hurt, pre-commit to a period of time. I usually recommend you make the decision to take naproxen around the clock for 7-10 days.
Don’t go longer than 10 days straight or you’re more likely to feel some stomach side effects.
During this period, take the naproxen once every 12 hours, whether you feel pain or not. This will build a sustained level of anti-inflammatory, pain-killing magic in your blood that will work to relieve your condition…from the inside out!
Surprising secret #2 - Synergy is everything
Here’s the real secret unlock. If your naproxen strategy is helping but not as much as you’d hoped, you have the option to level up and harness the power of synergy by adding acetaminophen (brand name Tylenol) to the mix.
And now it’s time to bust a common myth. The myth that you can’t mix Advil and Tylenol.
Or you can overlap their schedules. Whatever works for you.
I hear all the time about patients’ ‘favorite’ medication. “Oh, Advil is my go-to” or “Only Tylenol works for me.” But the real key here is in not choosing one but instead utilizing the power of both.
If you take naproxen (or ibuprofen or your NSAID of choice) by the instructions on its bottle, and then also take acetaminophen by the instructions on its bottle, you will be getting the benefit of synergy between these two completely separate classes of medications.
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This is the exact combination that was shown in the studies listed above to equal or exceed the power of potentially dangerous opioid prescription painkillers.
Real-world strategies to try at home today
Below is a guide I put together with real-world example schedules. Click the image if you’d like to download the file for yourself.
By no means will you always need the around-the-clock schedule. But hopefully, by seeing a few variations, you can experiment and find a strategy that works for you.
Click the image to download
Everything has risks - be sure you understand them
Ok so here are the details regarding the very important safety disclaimer at the top.
No medicine is completely safe.
Even over-the-counter medications. You must ALWAYS follow the directions on the bottle. And NEVER take a medication your primary care doctor has told you to avoid.
A couple of specific points to highlight:
NSAIDs: NSAIDs are a class of medications known as Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs. There are lots of medications in this class, but common ones include ibuprofen (brand name Advil or Motrin), aspirin (brand name Bayer), and naproxen (brand name Aleve). While these medications can be total game-changers for managing pain and inflammation, they have side effects about which you must be aware.
This class of medications can be tough on your stomach and your kidneys. They also don’t play nicely with many blood thinners, as they can cause excessively thin blood.
If you have any kidney problems, you will want to be clear about what your primary care doctor’s recommendations are regarding these medications.
Anyone can develop stomach issues with these medications — the most severe form of which would be ulcers or stomach bleeding. ALWAYS take these medications on a full stomach and if you have had any history of stomach issues or reflux, be sure you have a clear understanding with your doctor about whether these are safe for you.
If you are on blood thinners, you need to have the okay from your prescribing doctor before taking any NSAID medications.
And a final note. If you are pregnant, nursing, or under the age of 18, you must consult with your primary care doctor, pediatrician, or OB/GYN before taking these medications.
ACETAMINOPHEN (Brand name Tylenol): Acetaminophen is an interesting case. This drug is NOT an anti-inflammatory. Its role is to reduce pain and/or fever.
We actually don’t fully understand how it works. In low doses, it is thought to be essentially harmless. But if you cross over a threshold of too much in a given 24-hour period, it can quickly become very toxic to your liver.
Be sure you are following the recommendations on the bottle very carefully. I typically tell patients not to exceed 3 grams (3,000 milligrams) of Tylenol in any single 24-hour period.
Takeaways:
Opioids are out and over-the-counter medication combinations are in. This strategy is as good or even more effective than traditional narcotics — and without many of the associated side effects and addiction issues.
Choose a strategy of mixing and matching that is both safe and effective for your specific situation.
Even over-the-counter medications can cause harm — be sure you understand the risks and common precautions. Always consult with your doctor if you have any doubt.
Remember that medications are just a small piece of the puzzle to getting you well after an injury. In many cases, you’ll want to combine these techniques with your choice of ice, heat, massage, and/or immobilization for the quickest path to relief.
Fear not, I will be sure to dive into each of these topics in future articles!
