Pain Relief

Paracetamol suits most people and is gentle on the stomach — a good first choice for headaches and general aches. Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory, so it's often better for muscle and joint pain, period pain and swelling, but it isn't suitable for everyone, including some people with stomach, kidney or asthma problems. Our pharmacist can help you choose.

Adults can usually take both, as they work in different ways — many people alternate them for stubborn pain. What you must never do is double up on the same ingredient: co-codamol and many cold-and-flu remedies already contain paracetamol, for example. If you're unsure what's in something, ask our pharmacist before combining products.

For short-term acute pain, combination products such as co-codamol, Nurofen Plus or Solpadeine Max add codeine, which is stronger but can cause dependence — so they're for short-term use only, and our pharmacist will check they're appropriate for you. For ongoing pain, it's better to see your GP than to keep increasing painkillers.

For a specific muscle or joint, often yes — gels such as Voltarol work at the site of the pain with less medicine reaching the rest of the body, which suits people who can't take anti-inflammatory tablets. There are drug-free options too, like a TENS machine or FlexiSEQ gel for osteoarthritis. Tablets still make sense for widespread pain.

See your GP for pain that lasts more than a few weeks, keeps returning, wakes you at night or has no obvious cause — don't just keep taking painkillers for it. Seek urgent help for chest pain, a sudden severe headache, or pain with numbness, weakness, or loss of bladder or bowel control.