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El Reg reports:
Reported in The Lancet, the study [on paracetamol also known as acetaminophen] funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia and pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline Australia ran for over three years and involved "a multicentre, double-dummy, randomised, placebo controlled trial across 235 primary care centres in Sydney."
The study saw some patients given regular doses paracetamol, others told to take the drug when in pain and a third group handed placebos. Those given paracetamol, in either mode, reported no less pain than those taking placebos. Nor did sugar-pill-poppers recover from their ailments more slowly.
The authors therefore "question the universal endorsement of paracetamol in this patient group."
In this interview the study's leader Professor Chris Maher even questions whether Paracetamol can be considered a pain-killer.
"The jury is out" on whether the drug lessens pain, Professor Maher says about two minutes into the interview.
So, what does work? Don't just lay there; for starters, get up and MOVE AROUND.
(Score: 2) by randmcnatt on Friday July 25 2014, @01:49PM
I take ibuprofen in the morning, acetaminophen in the afternoon, and ibuprofen in the evening, have for years, and probably will for life (as an alternative to opiates). The acetaminophen is no better as a pain killer than it ever has been, but it still helps for the usual 4 to 6 hours.
The Wright brothers were not the first to fly: they were the first to land.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 25 2014, @02:28PM
From the summary Those given paracetamol, in either mode, reported no less pain than those taking placebos.
This is a real problem with 99.999% of our drug tests too. They all test against placebos. Not against the current best. Placebos is where you start. But rarely do they go past that.
(Score: 1) by dcollins on Friday July 25 2014, @08:12PM
That's about the most multiply-stupid thing you could say on the subject. If two different medications are in question, then you can just compare the numbers from two different studies. (In terms of wellness reporting, days sick/out of work, etc.) The placebo is only there to serve as a baseline in the control group, because you can't trust people's opinions when they're not popping pills and thinking they're being non-treated.
(Score: 2) by sjames on Friday July 25 2014, @10:06PM
Yes, it is. Too bad that's the FDA criterion for approval. Literally, they just have to show that it probably won't kill you and it's probably better than nothing. Note that this means there are cases where the drug may actually be inferior to snake oil.
(Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Friday July 25 2014, @03:52PM
Ibuprofen.
I had a root canal a decade ago. I had expected something fun like the percocet or percodan I had gotten 10 years before that when I had my wisdom teeth extracted. Instead I got a prescription for 600mg Motrin every four hours. I tossed the scrip and bought a bottle of generic Ibuprofen (200 mg) and took three at once on the suggested schedule. I had absolutely no pain at all. It was wild and made me a total believer in Ibuprofen.
You can take something like 3200mg of ibuprofen per day, though if you did that for a long time you'd end up with an ulcer. http://www.drugs.com/dosage/ibuprofen.html [drugs.com]
When I tweak my back or my neck, as soon as I notice it, I'll take three generic ibuprofen, do some stretching, if I'm home I'll use my substantial massager for ten or fifteen minutes (like this one: http://www.google.com/search?q=Thumper+Sport+Percussive+Massager [google.com] ), use ice if I can (e.g., at home), and repeat 2 or 3 times over the next 12-16 hours. That usually does the trick so well I feel fine the next day or day after.
(Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Friday July 25 2014, @03:54PM
Lame self-reply, I should note, I'm not a doctor.
(Score: 2) by Blackmoore on Friday July 25 2014, @06:17PM
Well I was taking so much ibuprofen per day my doctor told me to stop. his choice? yeah - this garbage.
I decided alcohol was a better pain reliever.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Friday July 25 2014, @11:28PM
Agreed, 600mg is a prescription dose, and you really don't feel any pain, and no side effects. I've had separated shoulder, dislocation, and even broken bones in the mid-arch (forget their weird names), and it has worked wonders.
I've been advised not to use it for long duration. (for some values of long).
(Don't let them prescribe those Volkswagen sized 600mg tabs, just buy the 200s.)
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.