Lee Ann Brady, DMD's Dental Blog

  • Home
  • About Dr. Lee Ann Brady
  • Dental Practice
  • Categories
    • Dental Materials
    • Esthetic Dentistry
    • Occlusion/TMD
    • Practice of Dentistry
    • Preventive Dentistry
    • Restorative Dentistry
    • Restorative Techniques
    • Treatment Planning
    • Videos
    • A-Z Topic List
  • Speaker’s Packet Request
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Practice of Dentistry / The Ultimate Non-Narcotic Rx for Pain

The Ultimate Non-Narcotic Rx for Pain

By Lee Ann Brady on 03.01.12Category: Practice of Dentistry

Last Saturday in the lecture I attended on pharmacology we spent at least half of our time discussing commonly prescribed pain medications. I was surprised to learn that Vicodin ES is the most frequently prescribed medication in the US. Despite the frequency with which prescriptions are written for narcotic medications they come with a host of negatives. Many of our patients will experience side effects ranging from nausea and vomiting to drowsiness and disorientation. In addition to the other side effects, these medications can be addictive and pose challenges to the prescribing doctor.

Ibuprofen is a non-narcotic medication that works both to provide pain relief and manage inflammation locally as a cox (cyclooxygenase) inhibitor.  Acetaminophen is also a non-narcotic analgesic, but it’s mechanism of action is completely different. It’s effect is mediated centrally we believe by action on a variety of neurotransmitter receptors which alter pain perception and threshold. When we combine the mechanisms of Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen the analgesic effect is equal to that of many narcotic medications like Vicodin ES, with the addition of anti-inflammatory effect and the absence of the side effects associated with opiates.

For maximum pain relief the recommended dosage is 800mg of Ibuprofen three to four times per twenty-four hours in combination with 325mg of Acetaminophen 3-4 times per day. I have had the opportunity to try this out several times this week with great results reported by the patients.

Related

Share

Comments

  1. Rex Menke says

    March 1, 2012 at 5:09 PM

    I thought there was a serious side effect to??? kidney? liver? when the two were used simultaneously.
    Not so?
    “tell me it ain’t so!!”
    :-)

    Reply
    • Lee Ann Brady says

      March 1, 2012 at 7:46 PM

      Rex,

      I did not hear about any special issues associated with the combination of Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen in the lecture I attended, and I just did some research and can not find anything on that. Now with that said Acetaminophen is known to be very hard on the liver, especially in high doses over extended usage or abuse. The Max daily amount of Acetaminophen was just dropped to 3000mg, and for patients with liver disease or any form of hepatitis the max per day is 1500mg. Ibuprofen can be associated with Kidney issues, again in high doses taken over a long time or in patients who take it chronically.

      Lee

      Reply
  2. Raschelle says

    July 22, 2016 at 9:43 PM

    I recently missed a dentist appt & was in excruciating pain. The dental assistant recommended I take this combination & it worked wonders until my next appointment.

    Reply
  3. Kevin Izard, MD says

    August 9, 2017 at 11:11 AM

    Unfortunately there is no universally safe pain medication. The combination of acetaminophen and NSAIDs (like ibuprofen) significantly increase the risk for gastrointestinal bleeding.

    Reply

Leave a Comment Cancel

Search

Recent Posts

  • Retraction Paste Technique Sensitivity
  • The Next Generation of Glass Ionomer Cements
  • A Fantastic New Temporary Cement
  • Tissue Blanching When Seating An Implant Restoration
  • Is It Time To Get An Intra-oral Impression Scanner?
  • Does Your Team Order The Dental Materials You Want?

Recent Comments

  • Shavon on Allergic Reaction To A Dental Cleaning?
  • Joe on Stick Bite: Why and How
  • Joan Johnson on Post & Core’s Coming Loose?
  • Rosemary on Ugh, The Margins Are Open!
  • Sakshi on Removing An e.max Restoration
  • Jeremy Montrose on Ugh, The Margins Are Open!

Policies

Terms of Use

Privacy Policy

Cancellations and Refunds

Security Seal

© 2020 Lee Ann Brady LLC, All Rights Reserved Site by CSL