Acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen: More than 80% of us report using these four main over-the-counter analgesics, according to the market research firm Mintel. Two-thirds of us keep stashes on hand, not just at home but also at work, in our handbags or in the car. And about half of us have multiple bottles available, just in case.
All that pill popping certainly affects our health — and not always for the better. Used correctly, over-the-counter analgesics can help with acute aches and pains. Even more enticing, growing evidence suggests that some of them might also help fight Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, as well as heart attacks and some cancers.
But there are real risks. It's easy to overdose, with dangers that include stomach upset, organ failure, strokes, even death. And the safe upper limits may vary from one person to the next, depending on body size, genes and prior health conditions.
Even healthy people can get themselves in trouble by thinking that if a little bit helps a little, a lot will help more. For some groups, including serious athletes and people with migraines, new evidence suggests that taking painkillers the wrong way or at the wrong time can do the opposite of what users took them for in the first place — create pain.
As data roll in about both the benefits and risks of over-the-counter painkillers, experts say the only good advice for everyone is to think twice before taking them.
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