Which is better for back pain aleve or advil

When you stroll through the over-the-counter (OTC) aisles in a pharmacy, are you overwhelmed by the myriad of choices? Do you wonder what pain relievers work best? Is Advil is better than Motrin?

Over-the-counter medications are only one type of medication commonly used to treat back pain.
See Medications for Back Pain and Neck Pain

If you ask “What should I take for my back pain?” your pharmacist might recommend these products for short-term use:

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1. Tylenol (acetaminophen)

Tylenol (brand name) is acetaminophen (generic). The most common strengths are regular strength (325mg) and extra strength (500mg). Taking high doses of acetaminophen on a regular basis can be hard on the liver and it doesn’t do much for inflammation, but for pain in general, it does the trick. The maximum recommended dose is two extra-strength Tylenol three times a day or 3000mg per day.

See Acetaminophen Potential Risks and Complications

2.Advil/Motrin (ibuprofen)

These two brands contain the same active ingredient, ibuprofen. The pro is that, unlike acetaminophen, it is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medication so it has anti-inflammatory properties. The con is that the regular strength of ibuprofen can be out of your system in 4 to 6 hours. Plus, it can be hard on the stomach so it should be taken with food. Ibuprofen is available over-the-counter in 200mg doses. If you find this is your anti-inflammatory of choice, there are prescription strength doses available of 400mg, 600mg, and 800mg. The maximum daily dose is 2400mg/day (if prescribed by your doctor). If you take high doses of ibuprofen it might be cheaper to get a prescription from your doctor because your insurance might cover it.

See Types of NSAIDs

3. Aleve (naproxen)

Aleve is the brand name of the generic drug naproxen. The pro of naproxen over ibuprofen is that it lasts 8 to 12 hours. The con is that, like ibuprofen, naproxen is an NSAID that is hard on the stomach and should be taken with food. Over the counter doses are 220mg and prescription doses are available in higher strengths (the most common prescription dose is 500mg). Like ibuprofen, your insurance may cover a prescription strength of naproxen if you find this works the best for you.

See Potential Risks and Complications of NSAIDs

Okay, these three NSAIDs are the most obvious choices. But do you want to know another product many pharmacists recommend?—

See Common NSAIDs for Back and Neck Pain

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Doan’s

Doan’s is another type of NSAID, and it has been around for generations. The active ingredient in Doan’s is magnesium salicylate tetrahydrate. A big pro for Doan’s is that it has been on the market for over 100 years. A con is that it can just as hard on the stomach as ibuprofen and naproxen.

See Anti-Inflammatory Medications for Back Pain Relief Video

Still not sure what to take for your back pain? Never hesitate to ask your pharmacist a question. We are chemistry geeks who love to talk about how and why medicine works. We enjoy coming out from behind the counter for a few minutes to help you pick out the best remedy for your ailment.

Always consult your medical doctor or pharmacist before taking over-the-counter medications and the read the package labeling. All medications have side effects, drug interactions, warnings, and precautions. Seek medical advice and never exceed package dosage recommendations.

Learn more:

About Celebrex (Celecoxib), a COX-2 Inhibitor

Common Uses for Treating Back and Neck Pain with Muscle Relaxers

Which drug is safer and better for different kinds of pain? Advil and Aleve are popular over-the-counter painkillers that have more similarities than differences between them.

Both belong to the class of drugs called NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs). These drugs relieve pain and reduce fever and inflammation. So they are used for headache, body ache, common cold, cramps, fever, sprains and mild arthritis. The active ingredient in Advil is Ibuprofen and in Aleve it's Naproxen.

Pain relief lasts longer with Aleve[1] and Aleve works better for pain resulting from inflammation (eg. arthritis). On the other hand, Advil works better for people with acid reflux or those who frequently use sun-tanning beds because Aleve has negative side effects for such patients.

Comparison chart

Advil and Tylenol in a drug store.

Active Ingredient

The active ingredient in Aleve is naproxen and the other ingredient is sodium. For every 200mg of naproxen, Aleve contains 20mg sodium.

The active ingredient in Advil is ibuprofen. Advil also contains sodium because the manufacturer claims that sodium ibuprofen is more soluble in water than standard ibuprofen.

Risks and Side Effects

Because their active ingredients are different, Advil and Aleve have slightly different side effects and risks.

Digestive

In lower doses (below 1,200 mg daily), ibuprofen (Advil) causes less irritation to the stomach lining and has the lowest incidence of digestive adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of all the non-selective NSAIDs. So people who have ulcers or acid reflux disease are better off with Advil than Aleve (Naproxen).

Cardiovascular risk

According to the FDA, naproxen (Aleve) carries a lower risk of cardiovascular than other NSAIDs including Advil. The FDA study, explained in this Wall Street Journal article, examined patients who were particularly vulnerable to cardiac events and concluded that naproxen was the only drug among NSAIDs that was not associated with increased risk of cardiac events.

This video from the University of Florida outlines the results of their study, which showed that NSAIDs (except aspirin) are correlated with higher cardiovascular risks.

Photosensitivity

While both drugs cause photosensitivity, naproxen (Aleve) can cause pseudoporphyria, especially if the patient frequently uses sun-tanning beds or has chronic renal failure.[2]

For aspirin-users

Data suggest that ibuprofen may confer an increased risk of thrombotic and congestive heart failure (CHF) events relative to lumiracoxib among aspirin users at high cardiovascular risk. The study indicates that naproxen may be associated with lower risk relative to lumiracoxib among non-aspirin users.[3]

Applications

Aleve works very well against inflammation and to address pain resulting from it e.g. arthritis, menstrual cramps and sunburns.

Adult Dosage

A tablet (pill) of Advil has 200mg of Ibuprofen while that of Aleve has 220mg of Naproxen. The effect of an Advil pill lasts for 4 to 8 hrs while that of Aleve lasts for 8 to 12 hrs. The prescribed dose for Advil is one pill every 4 to 6 hrs and should not exceed 6 in 24 hrs. Two pills can be taken together if need be. With Aleve, the prescribed dosage is one pill every 8 to 12 hrs and should not exceed 3 in 24 hrs. Two pills can be taken within the first hour.

Duration of Effectiveness

In a double-blind study, it was found that 12 hours after the dose was administered naproxen sodium (Aleve) was significantly more effective in relieving pain than ibuprofen (Advil).[4]

Price

Both these brand name drugs are priced similarly. There is a lot of variation in price depending upon the strength, volume and variety of the drug. In almost all cases, generic equivalents of Aleve and Advil are cheaper.

References

• wikipedia:Advil
• wikipedia:Naproxen
• Naproxen - MedicineNet
• Ibuprofen - MedicineNet
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and cardiovascular thrombotic risk - FDA, February 2014
• Bayer's Aleve may have lower cardiac risk than rival painkillers - Wall Street Journal

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