Paracetamol or Ibuprofen

[Seoe]

Had my first face to face this week with my GO as on waiting list to see consultant. Was a bit nervous and tend to babble a bit.

Upshot of it all is still to wait to see what consultants say but my GP has confused me a little. One minute she said take paracetamol then later in conversation she said take Ibuprofen.

I came out and forgot to ask a very important question about hair loss as I couldn’t process everything as it always feels rushed and am no confused as to what to take for pain relief.

Which one is better for the liver?

[Kristian]

Until you have a more formal diagnosis I'd steer clear of the ibuprofen. Drugs of that type are known to be harsher on the liver and people with liver disease are usually advised to avoid them. If you can't get to check with your own gp again then you can always ask a pharmacist too and they'd usually be able to advise also.

We dont known your own personal circumstances, but i was told I was OK to take paracetamol for general pain relief. Just don't exceed the daily recommended dose. I was actually told to take slightly less, i.e. no more than 6 a day instead of 8. If you are suffering long-term pain then you need to ask your gp what daily dose is right for you or what alternatives there are for long term pain management.

[Sunflower2021]

Hi Seoe

I can totally relate to you with too much information to absorb. I have Cirrhosis and suffer from terrible leg pains.

My consultant recommended I take paracetamol, no more than 6 a day. When I was admitted to the hospital they gave me paracetamol for my stomach pains before and after having drainages. I try not to take them unless I am in unbearable pain. It is best to double-check with your consultant or your GP.

As for hair loss, first I was advised by my consultant to take multivitamins but then I read your not supposed to,, then some sites say you can. So its do I or don't I? again it's best to speak to your GP about them. Foods that are packed with vitamins and minerals can help.

However, I have finally found a really nice conditioner hair mask that you can leave in for a few minutes before washing out. I've always have had long thick hair but now it's finer than what it used to be. With this conditioner, my hair feels a lot fuller. Its coconut Garnier ultimate blends hair food. Just need to check that the ingredients are ok for you to use.

Hope all goes ok with your consultant 🙂

[Cobwebs in reply to Sunflower2021]

I sympathise, Sunflower. I used to have incredibly thick hair and now I have about a quarter of the volume. I used the Garnier leave-in on holiday to protect from chlorine and sun but now use it regularly. I also use Plantur and another caffeine shampoo which, off the top of my head (scuse the pun) I can’t remember!! It might sound vain but I find it quite distressing. But, hey, we live to see another day. 😷

[Sunflower2021 in reply to Cobwebs]

Thank you, I will keep an eye out for that. just makes you feel a bit better if your hair is looking nice 😀

[Pussycat65]

I have Cirrhosis and was told to only take Paracetamol!

[Angelino1981]

So strange, I was always told Tylenol (which I think is the same as paracetamol) was horrible for your liver!

[Angelino1981]

Ok, google says the same thing. Every single article I read says Advil is fine and stay away from Tylenol.

[AyrshireK in reply to Angelino1981]

It would depend on the stage of any liver issues.

Long term excessive use of either paracetemol/Tylenol and ibuprofen/Advil can both cause liver issues and paracetemol is dangerous in over dose quantities.

When it comes to pain relief when you already have a known liver problem then in the UK certainly paracetemol is the advised medication and as others have pointed out usually at a lower dose than a healthy person would take - during procedures in hospital and for pain relief following endoscopies my hubby (with cirrhosis) has been prescribed paracetemol or advised that is ok pain killer to take - by his liver specialist.

Ibuprofen though has many issues, people with liver issues are told to avoid all non-steroidal anti-inflammatories as they are particularly hard on the digestive tract plus they (like aspirin) have blood thinning properties so someone who potentially already has a blood clotting problem and low platelets (due to liver disease) could run into serious trouble if they are also taking an NSAID.

Katie

[Cobwebs]

My GP said to avoid all painkillers as far as possible. Advice is so often confusing. All the best. Deb.