Painkillers Can Be Problematic As You Age. Find Out What is the Safest Painkiller for Older Adults
Painkillers are really useful. But as you get older, not all of them are safe. There’s one thing you need to do first, then discover which – out of all the over-the-counter medicines you can buy – is the safest painkiller for older adults.
What You Need to Do First
Aches and pains become increasingly common as you get older (sigh).
But frequent pain can be a sign of an important underlying health problem that needs attention.
Visit your doctor for a careful evaluation. Tell the doctor when the pain is worse, what makes it worse, what eases it – you might want to give this some thought before your appointment.
If it’s simply occasional aches and pains, and/or something that needs painkillers, then make sure to buy the safest painkiller for seniors – because over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers can be a major cause of harm to older adults.
The Safest Painkiller
For most older adults, the safest OTC painkiller for frequent use is
- acetaminophen (brand name Tylenol) in the US.
- known as paracetamol outside the US
BUT you must be careful not to exceed a total dose of 3,000mg per day, because it can cause liver damage if you take too much. (In fact, if you have chronic liver disease or drink a lot of alcohol, then your daily limit for Tylenol or paracetamol should be even lower).
But …. Be Careful!
The tricky thing with acetaminophen / paracetamol is that it’s actually included in lots of different over-the-counter medications (e.g. for flu) and also for prescription medications. So you can easily end up taking more daily acetaminophen / paracetamol than you realize. And so you can easily damage your liver.
But when taken at recommended doses, it rarely harms older adults. Unlike non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, see below), it does NOT put older adults at risk of internal bleeding, and it seems to have minimal impacts on kidney function and cardiovascular risk.
And Don’t Forget The PM Problem
The other thing you need to know about OTC painkillers is that some of them have “PM” versions. PM means that a mild sedative is included in the medication – and this can be bad for your brain health as you age.
NSAIDs Are a Problem
Painkillers such as ibuprofen (e.g. brand names Advil, Nurofen) and naproxen (e.g. brand name Aleve) work very well for pain relief – but they’re NOT good as you get older.
They can cause internal bleeding, kidney problems, they may interfere with high blood pressure medications and can increase your risk of heart failure if you take them regularly as an older adult.
However, using NSAIDs as creams or gels for pain relief is much safer, and can help with pain relief.
Your doctor may prescribe NSAIDs for pain relief from chronic conditions such as arthritis or gout, but discuss it thoroughly first. It may be that the benefits outweigh the risks, but always consider alternative pain relief strategies or a cream or gel form of NSAIDS.
What About Aspirin?
Many older adults take aspirin as a pain reliever – it used to be almost the only painkiller available when I was growing up. Although aspirin can help to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, it’s not prescribed any more. (See this article for the prods and cons) . A very occasional aspirin probably won’t do any harm, but regular use can cause internal bleeding.
What If It’s Not Enough?
OTC painkillers are great – but what happens if you’re still in severe pain, if they’re just not strong enough?
You could consider NSAIDs for a limited period of time – but be sure to discuss the risks with your doctor first. And always try to use creams or gels rather than tablets.
You could also consider opioid painkillers – again, these come with great risks as you age, especially for brain health and balance, so again, discuss this with your doctor.
Conclusion
Sadly, it’s not always possible to treat pain successfully all the time. And painkilling tablets are risky for seniors due to the side-effects.
Acetaminophen / paracetamol is the safest painkiller, but avoid PM versions and keep the doses low if you use daily.
The best thing you can do is to be well-informed about your options and the risks.
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Warm regards,
