Nurofen v Panadol
What’s the functions and the differences between nurofen and Panadol? We often get asked if you should be taking Panadol or nurofen. Prescription of medication is not within our scope of practice, but we can spell out the function of them for you!
Nurofen (ibuprofen)
When an injury of inflammation occurs a large amount of prostaglandins (chemical that inflame tissues) are released.
Ibuprofen works by limiting the number of prostaglandins that are released at the injured site, thus reducing the inflammation and swelling at the site of injury.
For this reason they’re recommended for period pain or joint pain, and day 2/3 of some sporting injuries
Panadol (paracetamol)
Paracetamol works to reduce local pain by blocking the chemical messengers that sould send pain messages to our brain.
It also works to reduce fever by altering temperature reception and regulation area of the brain
Paracetamol is much more gentle on the stomach and is recommended for stomach aches and headaches, and is the choice pain reliever for pregnant mothers.
