• Question: Are painkillers healthy to use?

    Asked by Resh@science to Hayley, Jimi on 18 Mar 2016.
    • Photo: Hayley Moulding

      Hayley Moulding answered on 18 Mar 2016:

      Painkillers are okay, depending on what type of pain killers they are!! Some pain killers are very strong and sadly can become addictive so they aren’t very healthy for you. They work well, but sometimes they work a bit too well. Things like paracetamol are okay for you, as long as you take the recommended dose and not too many. I wouldn’t say they are healthy, but I would say they are effective and will help you. Just always read the back of the packet!

    • Photo: Jimi Wills

      Jimi Wills answered on 18 Mar 2016:

      Some are, and some aren’t… and others depend on how sensitive you are…

      my two favourite examples are paracetamol and ibuprofen

      Paracetamol is toxic to your liver in doses too large. There’s an enzyme that normally breaks down paracetamol in the liver… but if there’s too much paracetamol, that enzyme can’t keep up, and other enzymes start to break the paracetamol down into toxic chemical which can damage the liver. Paracetamol is perfectly healthy if you don’t have too much.

      Ibuprofen, on the other hand, is a lot safer in terms of dose. But the problem is that it has iritate your stomach. Some people are much more sensitive to this than others.

      Most drugs have a “safe” amount you can take, but most drugs also can have “side effects”.

      Always read the label!

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