Pharmacist explains whether you should take paracetamol or ibuprofen

It can be difficult to know which to take

If you find yourself feeling under the weather, or with aches or pains, it’s common practice to reach for some painkillers. Paracetamol and ibuprofen are used most often, but which you should take can depend on a few factors.

It can be difficult to know which to take. Thankfully, though, an expert spoke exclusively to The Mirror about painkillers – settling the argument once and for all about which one you should be reaching for. Abbas Kanani, superintendent pharmacist at Chemist Click, clarified which is more beneficial when choosing between paracetamol and ibuprofen, and put paid to a widespread misconception surrounding the two.

He said: “Paracetamol is probably more effective at bringing down temperature, so it’s almost like a double-whammy, you get rid of your headache and bring your temperature down. But if you feel that you have more body aches, that’s your main symptom, then ibuprofen is probably slightly better as it’s an anti-inflammatory.”

The pharmacist also cautions that people should be mindful when taking ibuprofen, as many individuals are allergic to the class of drug it belongs to. You can find out more about who should not take ibuprofen on the NHS website here.

Nevertheless, he reveals that what most folk don’t realise is that both medicines can actually be taken together when you’re feeling particularly under the weather. “If you feel that one isn’t enough you can take ibuprofen as well as paracetamol, you can take them together. A lot of people don’t know that it’s not one or the other, you can put them together as they work in different ways.”

While these two medications will assist with aches, pains and high temperatures, along with mild cold and flu symptoms, Abbas points out that they’ll offer little relief for those struggling with coughs and nasal congestion.

To tackle these particular symptoms, cold and flu remedies would be more appropriate. For example, medicines containing a decongestant would be most effective for a blocked nose, while an expectorant would be needed for mucus-producing coughs and a cough suppressant for a dry, tickly cough.

However, when taking cold and flu medications, it’s vital to always read the packet and accompanying leaflet to establish which other products can be safely combined, as while paracetamol and ibuprofen can be taken together, other medicines may not be suitable to mix with them.