• MacN'Cheezus@lemmy.today
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    1 month ago

    Europeans be like: “I’m just gonna take a half tablet, don’t want to get dependent on this stuff”

    Meanwhile, Americans:

      • BarrelAgedBoredom@lemm.ee
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        1 month ago

        Don’t be fooled, they put a sugar coating around the OTC stuff. Instant release Adderall on the other hand… that shit tastes pretty good

        • lengau@midwest.social
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          1 month ago

          I switched pharmacies and holy shit do the different Adderall generics taste different. I’m stuck now with the Meijer pharmacy because I can’t go back to the bitter vomit-inducing crap I was getting at Rite Aid.

          • BarrelAgedBoredom@lemm.ee
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            1 month ago

            Wish I could be of more help. I’ve had two different types of generic instant release and they both tasted lightly sweet and went down with 0 issues . Maybe I got lucky haha. Idk if name brand or generic makes much of a difference price-wise for you but you could always try parachuting your pills (without crushing them obv) to put a barrier between your tongue and the pill

      • AItoothbrush@lemmy.zip
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        1 month ago

        I dunno. When i take the pill ibruprofen its the most sour thing ever. You can literally see the face muscles of someone taking it contracting.

      • Miles O'Brien@startrek.website
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        1 month ago

        I wonder if this is also one of those genetic things like cilantro, because ibuprofen tastes nasty as fuck to me. Like “bitter and my tongue wants to cut itself off to stop the taste even after a drink” nasty.

        • untorquer@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          Just depends on the manufacturer. Unless you’re comparing with different people from the same bottle.

  • driving_crooner@lemmy.eco.br
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    1 month ago

    Europeans: I’m taking a pill, if it keeps hurting I’m going to the doctor.

    Americans: I’m keeping taking this until I pay the house. It is still hurting, I can refinance the house to see a doctor.

    • mouserat@discuss.tchncs.de
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      1 month ago

      Also at least in my country I can call in sick if I have a headache, will be paid for the day and there is no number of paid-time-off-days, which will be subtracted by one when I do so. The employer continues to pay up to 6 weeks of salary if you need to stay at home due to sickness, and for a period longer than 3 days you need a dr to confirm you’re sick. The number of sick days per year depend on you actually being sick - I was baffled when I learned this is a fixed number in the US (at least for some) . I guess the motivation to work sick when you have a limited number of paid sick days also contributes to the usage of pain killers.

  • blockheadjt@sh.itjust.works
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    1 month ago

    “Lol Americans are so funny, they can’t go to a doctor without going homeless, look at these coping mechanisms they use, hilarious”

  • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Americans just tell you it’s a slight headache. In reality their back is so screwed up it’s going to require surgery but they can’t afford that and complaining about actual pain is strictly forbidden in American men.

    So we take 200 400 800 1600 Motrin, with some bourbon, and ignore it as best as we can.

    • JusticeForPorygon@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      This is my mother for the last year or so because of rotoscoliosis, a bulging disc, and arthritis in her shoulders.

      She can’t really get any form of treatment because the only insurance she can afford is a high-deductable plan, which means she would have to pretty much pay for the entire treatment out of pocket.

      • JasonDJ@lemmy.zip
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        1 month ago

        The good thing about the HDHPs is the availability to have an HSA.

        HSA money is collected pre-tax. Balances over a certain amount can be invested. But the good thing about it is that it’s yours to keep. Not like an FSA that disappears at the end of a year.

        So she could save up for the deductible for her surgery for her debilitating chronic pain over the course of several years. After she pays thousands in premiums and her employer pays thousands more. Like a good American.

      • uis@lemm.ee
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        1 month ago

        Would flying to Europe and getting healthcare there be cheaper? Look into it.

    • Zess@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      But they’ll only recommend the surgery after trying muscle relaxers ten times over the course of a year.

    • kayaven@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Yes, it’s a thing. The idea behind it is that you don’t want to become dependent on the pills to the point that they have less effect or that you feel worse without them. Sincerely, a Dutch non-techno non-DJ.

        • rtxn@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          Regular use also fucks up your organs. Paracetamol (Tylenol) kills your liver, and ibuprofen kills your kidneys.

            • Fuck spez@sh.itjust.works
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              1 month ago

              acetaminophen = paracetamol = Tylenol

              One compound*, different names.

              …Pedantic edit ten days later that nobody will even read:

              *plus fillers and binding agents which can vary substantially between manufacturers for many medications, but not the active ingredient(s)

            • rtxn@lemmy.world
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              1 month ago

              Others have answered, but I’ll say it anyway.

              The name paracetamol is used in most of the world, and by the WHO. Acetaminophen is the adopted name in the United States, Canada, and Japan. US pharmacies also use APAP. The most common trade names are Tylenol and Panadol. They all refer to the same stuff.

      • Hannes@feddit.org
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        1 month ago

        Also often the pain is telling you that something is wrong - you wouldn’t treat a broken ankle with strong painkillers and continue walking as if nothing was wrong just because it doesn’t hurt anymore - would you?

        Painkillers should make the pain bearable so you can still listen to your body and not take away the pain completely

        • Miles O'Brien@startrek.website
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          1 month ago

          you wouldn’t treat a broken ankle with strong painkillers and continue walking as if nothing was wrong just because it doesn’t hurt anymore - would you?

          Of course not! We limp around trying to keep it from hurting, praying to any deity that will listen and some that won’t that it heals before you have to pay for a visit to urgent care.

          The pills are just to help us go to work while we mentally figure out how many meals we will be skipping to pay for it.

          Now ask me if I’m joking.

        • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          Depends, how much is getting it seen going to cost me? And can I do my job with crutches I bought at the pharmacy? Cause if I miss a day I’ll get fired and the hospital will put me in jail if I don’t pay my bills.

          America is a shit hole country.

        • teije9@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          1 month ago

          yes, but if i know i broke my finger, and it has a cast around it, why should it keep hurting???

          back in the ooga booga days there weren’t any casts, so it’s pretty logical that it shouldn’t keep hurting, but if I already know i broke my finger and can’t move it, I think it’s okay to use pain killers to stop the pain.

      • Eatspancakes84@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        I have never heard of this in the context of ibuprofen. I know it’s bad on the stomach which means you shouldn’t take it for long periods of time (unless prescribed by a doctor). However, when the source of the pain disappears it’s pretty easy to kick the habit. Very different from opioids that are addictive beyond their painkilling ability.

        Also between European countries the price of otc painkillers differs tremendously, and my impression is that European pharmacies generally only sell small packages in an effort to maximise profits.

        • teije9@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          1 month ago

          that very much depends on your country. here in the Netherlands every supermarket/pharmacy sells them, and they usually have them at school/office administration desks for free.

          in France however, paracetamol isn’t even otc 😭😭

          • Eatspancakes84@lemmy.world
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            1 month ago

            How exactly do small packages limit use? There is no limit to the amount of packages you can buy. However, those small packages are severely overpriced. I think it’s safe to say that profit considerations played a role in their design.

            • bufalo1973@lemmy.ml
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              1 month ago

              Nobody buys 3 packages at once. If someone does that it raises some alarms. And they come in blisters, not as candy, so your first way of taking them is one by one.

              • Eatspancakes84@lemmy.world
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                1 month ago

                I do! I usually buy an annual supply in the Netherlands because it is much cheaper than in other European countries. No alarms were ever raised (obviously since otc pharmacies are entirely anonymous). Again, the price difference between countries gives a strong indication of the profit motive involved.

                The argument about blisters sounds ridiculous. Do you really believe you will stop an addict from his addiction because he has to push a bit harder.

      • ickplant@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        You can’t become dependent on ibuprofen, it’s not addictive. You shouldn’t be popping it like candy, but taking it when you are in pain is perfectly fine.

    • Björn Tantau@swg-empire.de
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      1 month ago

      To be fair we also have it much easier with our healthcare that doesn’t know the concept of sick-days. When you’re sick you just don’t go to work and your healthcare pays half your salary while your employer continues paying the other half.

      So we can actually afford to stay home in bed and let our bodies do the work while we rest.

      • GiddyGap@lemm.ee
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        1 month ago

        Screw your sick days! I’m gonna work myself into oblivion to be able to buy my big-ass coal-roller truck on credit and fill up my garage to the brim with crap that I’ll let someone else move when I die from a cheese and Ibuprofen overdose. 'Murica!!!

    • gerryflap@feddit.nl
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      1 month ago

      I’m Dutch and I only take paracetamol when I cannot sleep or function due to pain/illness. I’ve never taken something stronger like Ibuprofen in my life. When I’m ill I usually just lie in bed and wait for it to blow over

      • ccunning@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        Is acetaminophen really considered to be less strong than ibuprofen? I’d always considered them to be equal with ibuprofen being safer.

        • SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world
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          Yep here in Dutchland many people think paracetamol is a safer version of aspirine. They don’t know paracetamol can get dangerous very quickly. Dutch hospitals often get patients into the ER with a possible paracetamol overdose.

          Here is a toxicologist working in a Dutch hospital saying that https://youtu.be/P_Zt-xw7bME (has English subs)

        • Tar_Alcaran@sh.itjust.works
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          1 month ago

          In the Netherlands, yes. Ibuprofen is considered “stronger” or at least more serious. Most of that is because the general consensus seems to be to take 2 paracetamol (1000mg) and if it doesn’t help, add 400mg of ibuprofen on top.

          So, everyone sees it as “stronger” instead of complementary

        • Aganim@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          In my Dutch social circle it is indeed, but don’t ask me why. Personally I dislike Ibuprofen, it always makes me feel queasy and upsets my stomach.

        • gerryflap@feddit.nl
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          1 month ago

          Reading the other comments, this seems to be more of a cultural thing than something based on facts. Ibuprofen seems to be taken in more serious situations. Personally I’ve never had it so I’m not sure. Paracetamol is more of a casual thing here. Many people, like me, would only take it when very ill. But I’ve definitely had a few classmates or colleagues who just take paracetamol whenever they have a slight headache or something.

          • tigeruppercut@lemmy.zip
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            1 month ago

            Ibuprofen is also anti-inflammatory while paracetamol isn’t, so it can be used to reduce swelling (eg) rather than just for pain reduction

      • PeriodicallyPedantic@lemmy.ca
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        1 month ago

        You’re the second person I’ve seen saying that ibuprofen is stronger than paracetamol. Where does that come from?

        It is slightly stronger, but the dose is smaller. A single dose of router either is roughy the same pain reduction, and similar damage for exceeding their recommended usage

        • gerryflap@feddit.nl
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          1 month ago

          Not sure. I’ve never used it but it always seems to be used as such, so I just assumed that was the case

          • PeriodicallyPedantic@lemmy.ca
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            1 month ago

            It can be prescribed in much higher dosages, unlike paracetamol, but the regular over the counter stuff is the same.

            200 ibuprofen = 250 paracetamol
            Extra strength just doubles both
            But prescription for ibuprofen can go up a bit from that. Never seen a higher prescription for paracetamol.

    • Berttheduck@lemmy.ml
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      1 month ago

      Yeah, in the UK they reduced the amount you can buy at once too, so drugs like paracetamol and ibuprofen only come in 16 tablet packs and you can only buy 2 packs at a shop., It’s helped lower suicides quite well.

      People here have a real aversion to taking tablets a lot of the time. I have to convince people to take regular paracetamol (which is non addictive and doesn’t have side effects so long as you don’t take more than the recommended amount) after they have had surgery semi-regularly.

      • Tar_Alcaran@sh.itjust.works
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        1 month ago

        Suicide by by paracetamol is such a fucking horrible way to go, mostly since it doesn’t kill you, it just completely destroys your liver.

        Just enough time to regret it, before you die slowly and in great pain

      • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        That’s… Ugh. That’s the worst way to go. You have an entire week of pain to regret your decision while doctors can do nothing to help you.

      • Donkter@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        Yeah I just stick to hot railing fentanyl if I have a headache or something. Much less addictive.

        • FundMECFSResearch@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          1 month ago

          Idk if you’re just saying this out of the blue or comparing what I’m saying to that.

          But NSAID’s like ibuprofen are quite strong and have lots of side effects. Regular usage can have quite some negative impacts on health. In comparison CBD oil is pretty gentle.

        • FundMECFSResearch@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          1 month ago

          UK National Health Service Website:

          FAQ: Can I take [X] for long periods?

          [paracetamol]

          It’s safe to take paracetamol regularly for many years as long as you do not take more than the recommended dose.

          [ibuprofen]

          If you still need ibuprofen after taking it for 10 days (or for 3 days if you’re under 18) check with your doctor before continuing. If you need to take ibuprofen tablets, capsules, granules or liquid for a long time and you’re at risk of getting a stomach ulcer, your doctor may prescribe a medicine to help protect your stomach.

          • PeriodicallyPedantic@lemmy.ca
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            1 month ago

            It seems like you’ve mistaken what “strong” means.

            But I shouldn’t have said “long term”. The dangers of each are different.
            Ibuprofen is relatively safe to go a bit over the recommended dose, but not over the recommended duration.
            Paracetamol is relatively safe to go over the recommended duration, but not the recommended dose.

          • PeriodicallyPedantic@lemmy.ca
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            1 month ago

            Low doses of ibuprofen are better as an anti-inflammatory, and higher doses are better for pain relief, from what I’ve learned online (I’m not a doctor).
            I imagine the muscle pain you were dealing with was due to inflammation from overexertion or something?

    • teije9@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      1 month ago

      yes. Pain killers (if you take way too many) can be incredibly bad for your liver, and (while almost impossible with paracetamol and ibuprofen) you can become ‘immune’ to them, making them work less/not at all.

    • elidoz@lemmy.ml
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      1 month ago

      I just don’t think it’s a good idea to take pills without asking a doctor, I’m not a medical professional

    • SturgiesYrFase@lemmy.ml
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      1 month ago

      In the UK you’re limited to 32 pills of paracetamol(acetaminophen in NA) per purchase. Less if they’re high dose.

      • drake@lemmy.sdf.org
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        1 month ago

        Yeah I got sick of buying the little packets and just ended up buying a bottle of 500 from the US. Pain in the fucking ass

    • pseudo@jlai.lu
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      Ibuprofen is famous for making men less fertil and it can cause sterility to the unborn baby when took by pregnant women. Paracetamol on the other hand is very bad for the liver. Better took these two very carefully.

  • Hannes@feddit.org
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    1 month ago

    My girlfriend always makes fun that in Germany chamomile tea is the go to painkiller and only if that doesn’t help the pills come out. It was one of her strongest culture-shocks she didn’t anticipate before coming to Europe

  • exu@feditown.com
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    It’s always amusing how you can read Dutch with some difficulty by combining German and English.

  • stoy@lemmy.zip
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    1 month ago

    I had a tooth surgically removed a few years back, took 90 min, and I got strong paracetamol and even a small pack of morphine.

    I never used the morphine, I keep it sealed at home if I need it.

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        Oh absolutely, that doesn’t mean it won’t work though, probably less effective though…

        • variants@possumpat.io
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          We kept my wife’s after she had our baby until one of my cousins casually asked if we still had it. We tossed it so quick and got worried someone might be addicted and would find it in our bathroom mirror thing.

          The smart thing might have been to stash it somewhere else to have it in case we end up in an natural disaster or something you always see the people in the movies going through houses finding useful meds. But we just got worried

          • stoy@lemmy.zip
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            With a reaction like that I suspect there was some other indicators as well.

            I know I have a bit of an addictive personality, I actively refuse gambling since I know I can get caught up in it.

            I did open the package up, I wanted to see the mythical pills, but I felt uncomfortable with the package being unsealed and wanted a bigger barrier to have to pass through if I wanted the pills. So I resealed the pack with tape and have had no issues since.

            As for right now, they are only for when I am in so much pain that I can’t do anything useful.

            None in my family has ever asked about it other than to check up on me when I first got it, I live alone so it is a valid concern.

            I got it back in 2020/2021 and it remains resealed and unused.

    • uis@lemm.ee
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      1 month ago

      …but it is amid, not amin, no? Why do americans call it acetaminophen instead of acetamidophen?

        • uis@lemm.ee
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          Nope it’s amin according to Google.

          That’s why I ask. Americans call it “acetaminophen”, but compound doesn’t have amino-group and instead had amido-group.

          IUPAC calls it as what it is: N-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)acetamide

          Source

          EDIT: my guess is that america uses another nomenclature for organic chemistry. As usual. Do they have compound called “freedom eagle guns”? I’m so used to amine meaning specifically R-NH2 and nothing else.

          • JusticeForPorygon@lemmy.world
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            Idk I’m not a chemist. I thought the whole point of scientific standards was that everyone used the same name/units but we don’t even spell meter right in the states.

  • TheBluePillock@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    I’m kinda in this meme. I went through one of those big bottles roughly every 1-2 months for 20 years. Sometimes 12 pills in one day, with 4-8 acetaminophen on top (they do giant double packs of those too). Chronic migraines, but every doctor I asked for help just told me to lose weight so it went untreated and got worse and worse. Our health care suuuucks.

    I did lose the weight. It didn’t magically fix my migraines, or affect them at all. Insurance dicked me around for another year and a half while my neurologist tried to help every way she could, but we finally got it down to only one migraine a week. I’m truly glad for that, but I still think about the years of unnecessary suffering, and how much better it might be now if I’d been treated sooner.

      • TheBluePillock@lemmy.world
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        Yup, it was the first thing we checked when I actually got treatment. I’m sure that didn’t help, but compared to the pain of the migraines it was negligible. Having to refrain from pain meds for a while to make sure was a hell of a ride though. I lasted about three months. The doctor was satisfied with 1-2 but I wanted to be damn sure.

        I give people the same warning nowadays. Don’t take that stuff more than once a week.

  • qyron@sopuli.xyz
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    1 month ago

    If those bottles are sold as a pair and each has 500 pills, 1000 pills is more than a hospital grade package in my country.

  • untorquer@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Is it common for ibuprofen to not really help? With physical pain it does nothing for me. It kind of helps with head aches sometimes. I use it maybe a couple times a year, so it’s not tolerance.

    • jagungal@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID). It will reduce inflammation and the associated pain. If your pain is not caused by inflammation then you should talk to a pharmacist about what the best analgesic is for you.

    • RubberDuck@lemmy.world
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      There are several families of painmeds some more harmless than others. Anecdotally I know people that only seem to get relief from ibuprofen, and others that swear only paracetamol (Tylenol) helps, while again others sweat to asperin. Like the other person said… talk to a pharmacist about options, and see if others work for you.

      Some like paracetamol can me taken over the course of a day for multiple days for example post operation… and they build a level that causes them to work even stronger. But paracetamol can cause lover damage if taken too much.

      Like with all drugs, read the darn pamphlet. Opiates are not your friend and should only be taken very sparingly under proper supervision, if at all… sure they dull pain but are highly addictive.

      Source, not a medical professional, so take what I wrote with a grain of salt and consult a professional.

      • ✺roguetrick✺@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        Main benefit for acetaminophen(the American name for paracetamol) is that you can use it on top of an NSAID. That’s something you can’t do with aspirin. It’s good to stagger the dosage for something like a toothache or take both at once for a headache (this is what most OTC migraine medications are, an NSAID[usually aspirin], acetaminophen, and caffeine in one pill).

      • Rekorse@sh.itjust.works
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        1 month ago

        Noones talking about opiates though?

        Can you post a source about acetaminophen building up over time the way you describe? It seems unlikely with such a short half life but I could be wrong.

    • ✺roguetrick✺@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Try taking it with a dose of acetaminophen. Those two have a synergistic effect that is better than either alone and is often used post surgery for that reason.

    • doggle@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      1 month ago

      It helps marginally better than placebo for me. Hence why Americans use it for fairly trivial aches and pains.

      I can’t imagine it would do anything for pain I’d consider ‘serious’.

    • TheEmpireStrikesDak@thelemmy.club
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      1 month ago

      Depends, I guess. It does nothing for period pains with me, but when I burst my ear drum last month, it took the pain from excruciating to manageable.

  • doingthestuff@lemy.lol
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    1 month ago

    I guess I’m Americaning wrong. As far as painkillers go, 've only taken one ibuprofen in the last year. I even had a severe gut pain event where they prescribed me some oxy but I never took anything.

    • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      I think a lot of Americans are wary of Oxy now. I was in a car crash and the first thing I told the paramedics was, “no narcotics”. I deal with enough in my life, I did not need a drug dependency too.

    • untorquer@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      If you’re in severe pain oxy doesn’t really get you high. At least not more than adrenaline. Just kills the pain and otherwise makes you feel fine.

      IV dilaudid was the good stuff. I’m glad it was only during my hospital stay though. They sent me home with tons of oxy. Took it as prescribed a couple weeks before deciding I’d rather be able to have a beer and a functional colon.

      I do get why people get addicted to the stuff though. Kills emotional pain right along with the physical.