Pain killing alternatives to ibuprofen/paracetamol

Ok so i had to get a tooth out on Monday, and although i expected a day or two of some discomfort i did not expect that after 4 days i would still have to be taking pain killers every 4 hours.

I am now worried because i have never had to take that many painkillers for anything, and i know that it cannot be good for me to continue taking them, but i am still having alot of pain, i am sure that this is not normal so i will go back to the dentist on Monday.

What i would like to find though is some kind of alternative to the pain killers i am taking, like, something Herbal, or even a Spray or Gel that i could use to numb my mouth until Monday.

Please help, i can't put up with this the whole weekend.

Thanks
Sarah

Diclofenac, but be careful it can cause stomach upset.

Clove oil - tastes disgusting but it numbs the gum and eases pain...you can use it neat. Or as others have suggested go for the alcohol but mixed with painkillers - not a good idea really!

How do you know this? Paracetamol (Tylenol/acetaminophen/APAP) can be hard on your liver but as long as you're taking less than 2g (4x500mg) a day over less than two weeks, there's no concern. Between 2g and 4g/day you should check with your doctor. Aspirin can be hard on the stomach, but the maximum safe dose is 8g/day. Ibuprofen -- an aspirin derivative -- is harder on the stomach which is why some people (like me) can't take it. Like aspirin (and in contrast to paracetamol), it's an NSAID, much better at controlling the swelling which is one of the main reasons you have the pain. The maximum normal dosage for ibu is around 1200mg but your doctor may prescribe almost three times that depending on a number of factors including your weight, medical history and expected duration of medication.

The pain from the tooth extraction should recede after 7-10 days. If clove, cinnamon or peppermint oils work for you and you feel better using those as topical relief, by all means use them. If you're having side effects from the OTC medications or you want to "be cautious" you can alternate between aspirin/ibu and paracetamol, but what you're taking is not excessive and is not normally harmful.

woof.

You'll probably be fine taking regular OTCs, but I had an oral surgeon recommend arnica montana (pain relief) and bromelaine (reduce swelling) for a very messy double extraction/implant a few years ago. I have a reasonably high threshhold for pain, but these did seem to do the trick.

Alcohol

Hi Sarah

Wow, that sounds BAD. I had a tooth pulled last Monday & it was only uncomfortable for 2 days. I had ice-cubes wrapped in a towel, permanently pressed against my jaw for 2 days. That helped with numbing the area. (I only took pain killers at night.)

good luck & hope the pain goes away long before Monday.

ou should only take paracetamol when you have an allergy to ASA or NSAIDs. It is very hard on the liver and more importantly, the numbers that Bad Doggie wrote assume that you are not taking anything else that may compete with Paracetamol. The reason why is the enzyme which breaks down most of your dangerous metabolites in your liver is completely occupied with almost one dose of paracetamol. Therefore one beer can b quite dangerous if you take one paracetamol. At the University that I studied at, a physician died after drinking five beers and being on paracetamol for one week. These are five American beers, less than two mass. I am not saying that this will happen to everyone, but only to emphasize that it really can cause damage to your liver and it can do this fairly fast, and the death takes a long painful time.

Slightly worried by the above post.

I have a habit of popping an Ibruprofen as soon as I get hope if I've had a heavy night. Are you saying this could be dangerous? Works a treat I've found w.r.t hangovers.

Both Ibruprofen and Paracetamol (tylenol and ASA), are metabolized by the liver and as you know, so is alcohol. So I would recommend that you not take these over the counter medications with alcohol. I just checked my Tylenol and Ibruprofen containers and it does mention limiting alcohol use while taking the medication. My generic ibruprofen container says no more than three drinks daily while taking the ibruprofen. I question this because you can have three drinks with very low alcohol content or 3 drinks with a very high alcohol content so I think this is not really clear information and can be misleading. Personally, I avoid alcohol all together while taking these medications.

No Pas, Ibuprofen is not the same as paracetamol and the risks are different. In short, NSAIDs work by blocking cyclooxygenase 1 and 2. COX-2 is the proinflammatory COX, while COX-1 is more for protection of your stomach and intestines. When you take ibuprofen you are inhibiting both, the protective lining is weakened and you can have serious problems if you are already sensitive or if you are taking them chronically. On the otherhand aspirin works by blocking Arachindonic Acid production which is the precursor to the substrates for COX 1 and 2, plus a lot of aspirins if produced on the cheap can break down into acetic acid and which will smell like vinegar also decreasing your stomach linings pH, making it more acidic on top of blocking the COX-1 helping hand. But the worry with alcohol and the danger with the liver is not a problem with either aspirin or NSAIDs like ibuprofen. It is only paracetamol that has this incredible toxicity with alcohol and your liver.

I've been using Boswellia over a longer period of time (2-3 weeks) where I was concerned about prolonged use of ibuprofen or similar.
It worked well for me, it's easier on your stomach and not as strong and I've had no side effects.

Mine was from Solgar but you can find it from most manufacturers.

My problem was muscular, and I doubt it was as painful as a tooth so you might find that this stuff isn't strong enough.

Two quick comments.

BD is pretty much on the spot, even if paracetamol toxicity varies widely and is well-reported in under maximal dosage in certain individuals.

Paracetamol toxicity occurs in the cytochrome P450 enzyme system - some other drugs (hell, even some rare teas too) affect this system and there lies one of the toxicity risk. But it is an excellent combo drug with NSAIDs because it allows for lower dosage - reducing side effects. IF you are taking anything else, discuss with doctor before going on a Paracetamol treatment.

Ask for "Tispol", imho the best otc toothpain killer.

Greets

hi maria,

as I chronicled in quite a long thread, I had a tooth pulled out about a month ago and it hurt for a solid week post extraction. Make sure you are icing the area. Get yourself a good ice pack. I had the exact same feeling - that I was about to overdose on Paracetamol - but little by little as the week came to a close I didn't need to take as much and then the pain went away completely.

What's the update? How do you feel today?

If the pain is continuing, and especially if your gum feels hot, you should go back to your dentist or your GP to have it checked. When I had a wisdom tooth out (on the NHS) I had to go back three times before they realised (admitted) they had left a chunk of tooth in there - meanwhile it had become badly inflamed.

Meanwhile clove oil is probably a bit harsh for an open wound - try slooshing with soluble aspirin or get hold of some "Bonjela" style sore mouth gel (active ingredient Choline salicyate - which is a variation on aspirin, I think)

I've had all four of my wisdom teeth removed in the past 3 months. Two were normal extractions and two had to be operated upon. Here's the fun part. I'm allergic to pain killers. So, whenever anything happens, I'm on my own. From experience I can tell you that the first night is the worst. It starts to get better after that. But, it happened to me each time that every time after two days or so, the pain increased. And it was the same reason each time: An infection had set it. If you don't want to take painkillers, then you should be using an ice pack as someone above suggested. Also there are special mouth-rinses that you should be using after every meal. e.g. Chlorhexamed.

Lastly after two days if you're still having pain, then you SHOULD see your dentist again.

Article in The Times on the subject:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_...icle2540652.ece

Coffee triples the risk when taking paracetemol. Also alcohol increases the same risk of liver damage. St. John's Wort is also not good.

So basically it sounds like it is NOT a great idea to get pissed, wake with a hangover, double up on pills and slosh down with coffee and St. John's Wort.