Europeans: I’m taking a pill, if it keeps hurting I’m going to the doctor.
Americans: I’m keeping taking this until I pay the house. It is still hurting, I can refinance the house to see a doctor.
Really not much exaggeration here
Exaggerated, sure. The point still stands. Unfortunately.
The point might not stand, sure. But it’s not exaggerated. Boop.
Europeans be like: “I’m just gonna take a half tablet, don’t want to get dependent on this stuff”
Meanwhile, Americans:
Ngl I ibuprofen does kinda taste good
Don’t be fooled, they put a sugar coating around the OTC stuff. Instant release Adderall on the other hand… that shit tastes pretty good
I dunno. When i take the pill ibruprofen its the most sour thing ever. You can literally see the face muscles of someone taking it contracting.
Y’all are letting the pills dissolve in your mouth before swelling it???
You can taste the after taste of the split second it spent in your mouth before you could swallow it. Its EXTREMELY sour
You sure you aren’t swallowing compacted toothpaste?
I hope not lol
Yea I’ve made the mistake of bitting one when I was younger.
Tastes like old rubber band to me
I wonder if this is also one of those genetic things like cilantro, because ibuprofen tastes nasty as fuck to me. Like “bitter and my tongue wants to cut itself off to stop the taste even after a drink” nasty.
Is this a serious thing? It seems so normal here in the states.
Yes, it’s a thing. The idea behind it is that you don’t want to become dependent on the pills to the point that they have less effect or that you feel worse without them. Sincerely, a Dutch non-techno non-DJ.
Also it can cause or amplify a lot of stomach issues
Regular use also fucks up your organs. Paracetamol (Tylenol) kills your liver, and ibuprofen kills your kidneys.
What about acetaminophen?
acetaminophen = paracetamol = Tylenol
One compound, different names.
Acetaminophen and paracetamol are the same thing.
Also often the pain is telling you that something is wrong - you wouldn’t treat a broken ankle with strong painkillers and continue walking as if nothing was wrong just because it doesn’t hurt anymore - would you?
Painkillers should make the pain bearable so you can still listen to your body and not take away the pain completely
you wouldn’t treat a broken ankle with strong painkillers and continue walking as if nothing was wrong just because it doesn’t hurt anymore - would you?
Of course not! We limp around trying to keep it from hurting, praying to any deity that will listen and some that won’t that it heals before you have to pay for a visit to urgent care.
The pills are just to help us go to work while we mentally figure out how many meals we will be skipping to pay for it.
Now ask me if I’m joking.
Depends, how much is getting it seen going to cost me? And can I do my job with crutches I bought at the pharmacy? Cause if I miss a day I’ll get fired and the hospital will put me in jail if I don’t pay my bills.
America is a shit hole country.
I have never heard of this in the context of ibuprofen. I know it’s bad on the stomach which means you shouldn’t take it for long periods of time (unless prescribed by a doctor). However, when the source of the pain disappears it’s pretty easy to kick the habit. Very different from opioids that are addictive beyond their painkilling ability.
Also between European countries the price of otc painkillers differs tremendously, and my impression is that European pharmacies generally only sell small packages in an effort to maximise profits.
You can’t become dependent on ibuprofen, it’s not addictive. You shouldn’t be popping it like candy, but taking it when you are in pain is perfectly fine.
You can reduce their effectiveness though.
I don’t think that actually happens.
To be fair we also have it much easier with our healthcare that doesn’t know the concept of sick-days. When you’re sick you just don’t go to work and your healthcare pays half your salary while your employer continues paying the other half.
So we can actually afford to stay home in bed and let our bodies do the work while we rest.
Screw your sick days! I’m gonna work myself into oblivion to be able to buy my big-ass coal-roller truck on credit and fill up my garage to the brim with crap that I’ll let someone else move when I die from a cheese and Ibuprofen overdose. 'Murica!!!
I’m Dutch and I only take paracetamol when I cannot sleep or function due to pain/illness. I’ve never taken something stronger like Ibuprofen in my life. When I’m ill I usually just lie in bed and wait for it to blow over
Is acetaminophen really considered to be less strong than ibuprofen? I’d always considered them to be equal with ibuprofen being safer.
In the Netherlands, yes. Ibuprofen is considered “stronger” or at least more serious. Most of that is because the general consensus seems to be to take 2 paracetamol (1000mg) and if it doesn’t help, add 400mg of ibuprofen on top.
So, everyone sees it as “stronger” instead of complementary
Yep here in Dutchland many people think paracetamol is a safer version of aspirine. They don’t know paracetamol can get dangerous very quickly. Dutch hospitals often get patients into the ER with a possible paracetamol overdose.
Here is the a toxicologist working in a Dutch hospital saying that https://youtu.be/P_Zt-xw7bME (has English subs)
In my Dutch social circle it is indeed, but don’t ask me why. Personally I dislike Ibuprofen, it always makes me feel queasy and upsets my stomach.
Always take it with food.
Reading the other comments, this seems to be more of a cultural thing than something based on facts. Ibuprofen seems to be taken in more serious situations. Personally I’ve never had it so I’m not sure. Paracetamol is more of a casual thing here. Many people, like me, would only take it when very ill. But I’ve definitely had a few classmates or colleagues who just take paracetamol whenever they have a slight headache or something.
You’re the second person I’ve seen saying that ibuprofen is stronger than paracetamol. Where does that come from?
It is slightly stronger, but the dose is smaller. A single dose of router either is roughy the same pain reduction, and similar damage for exceeding their recommended usage
Not sure. I’ve never used it but it always seems to be used as such, so I just assumed that was the case
Ibuprofen is pretty fucking strong. I stick with CBD and paracetamol and I’m bedridden with a painful disease.
Yeah I just stick to hot railing fentanyl if I have a headache or something. Much less addictive.
Idk if you’re just saying this out of the blue or comparing what I’m saying to that.
But NSAID’s like ibuprofen are quite strong and have lots of side effects. Regular usage can have quite some negative impacts on health. In comparison CBD oil is pretty gentle.
Ibuprofen and paracetamol are roughly the same in theme of pain relief and harm in long-term use.
UK National Health Service Website:
FAQ: Can I take [X] for long periods?
[paracetamol]
It’s safe to take paracetamol regularly for many years as long as you do not take more than the recommended dose.
[ibuprofen]
If you still need ibuprofen after taking it for 10 days (or for 3 days if you’re under 18) check with your doctor before continuing. If you need to take ibuprofen tablets, capsules, granules or liquid for a long time and you’re at risk of getting a stomach ulcer, your doctor may prescribe a medicine to help protect your stomach.
It seems like you’ve mistaken what “strong” means.
But I shouldn’t have said “long term”. The dangers of each are different.
Ibuprofen is relatively safe to go a bit over the recommended dose, but not over the recommended duration.
Paracetamol is relatively safe to go over the recommended duration, but not the recommended dose.
Yeah, in the UK they reduced the amount you can buy at once too, so drugs like paracetamol and ibuprofen only come in 16 tablet packs and you can only buy 2 packs at a shop., It’s helped lower suicides quite well.
People here have a real aversion to taking tablets a lot of the time. I have to convince people to take regular paracetamol (which is non addictive and doesn’t have side effects so long as you don’t take more than the recommended amount) after they have had surgery semi-regularly.
Suicide by by paracetamol is such a fucking horrible way to go, mostly since it doesn’t kill you, it just completely destroys your liver.
Just enough time to regret it, before you die slowly and in great pain
That’s… Ugh. That’s the worst way to go. You have an entire week of pain to regret your decision while doctors can do nothing to help you.
Yes, it’s real. Just another case of “the European mind cannot comprehend”.
In the UK you’re limited to 32 pills of paracetamol(acetaminophen in NA) per purchase. Less if they’re high dose.
Yeah I got sick of buying the little packets and just ended up buying a bottle of 500 from the US. Pain in the fucking ass
I just don’t think it’s a good idea to take pills without asking a doctor, I’m not a medical professional
My girlfriend always makes fun that in Germany chamomile tea is the go to painkiller and only if that doesn’t help the pills come out. It was one of her strongest culture-shocks she didn’t anticipate before coming to Europe
The pain of drinking chamomile tea does have a masking effect.
Germans are weird like that
The rest of us are normal and will take a painkiller
I had a tooth surgically removed a few years back, took 90 min, and I got strong paracetamol and even a small pack of morphine.
I never used the morphine, I keep it sealed at home if I need it.
It’s probably expired.
Oh absolutely, that doesn’t mean it won’t work though, probably less effective though…
We kept my wife’s after she had our baby until one of my cousins casually asked if we still had it. We tossed it so quick and got worried someone might be addicted and would find it in our bathroom mirror thing.
The smart thing might have been to stash it somewhere else to have it in case we end up in an natural disaster or something you always see the people in the movies going through houses finding useful meds. But we just got worried
With a reaction like that I suspect there was some other indicators as well.
I know I have a bit of an addictive personality, I actively refuse gambling since I know I can get caught up in it.
I did open the package up, I wanted to see the mythical pills, but I felt uncomfortable with the package being unsealed and wanted a bigger barrier to have to pass through if I wanted the pills. So I resealed the pack with tape and have had no issues since.
As for right now, they are only for when I am in so much pain that I can’t do anything useful.
None in my family has ever asked about it other than to check up on me when I first got it, I live alone so it is a valid concern.
I got it back in 2020/2021 and it remains resealed and unused.
It’s always amusing how you can read Dutch with some difficulty by combining German and English.
You can read German with little difficulty by combining actual English with phonetic English.
You can read Bayerish by combining German with a pitcher of lager.
I guess I’m Americaning wrong. As far as painkillers go, 've only taken one ibuprofen in the last year. I even had a severe gut pain event where they prescribed me some oxy but I never took anything.
I think a lot of Americans are wary of Oxy now. I was in a car crash and the first thing I told the paramedics was, “no narcotics”. I deal with enough in my life, I did not need a drug dependency too.
Also Australians (where the most economical package of paracetamol/acetaminophen is 200 pills for A$4).
I honestly don’t understand the Dutch techno reference.
It’s about the perceived drug use (namely ecstasy) within the electronic music scene. Amsterdam, because of its ports and proximity to western Europe, became a hub for typically higher quality drugs.
Their substance laws are also way more lax than the rest of Europe.
Americans just tell you it’s a slight headache. In reality their back is so screwed up it’s going to require surgery but they can’t afford that and complaining about actual pain is strictly forbidden in American men.
So we take
2004008001600 Motrin, with some bourbon, and ignore it as best as we can.200 mg? I know people over here that will pop a pair of 800 mg tablets.
Isn’t 800mg Rx-only? If they’re doing it under their doctor’s supervision, then that’s their business.
Or… And doctors hate this one trick…
8 200mg pills
Technically it’s prescription only. In reality if you ask a random group of men there’s always someone with a bottle. Around military bases it’s even worse because the military just throws the 800mg pills at everything.
I don’t know what military life is like, but that hasn’t been my experience as a civie. Most men I know wouldn’t go to the doctor for something mild enough that it could be treated with ibuprofen.
Here 600 is under prescription for sure, I think 400 too.
Honestly I think the Americans have it right, here.
You end up taking fewer painkillers of you start taking them early and get ahead of the pain. If you wait until the pain is already severe, you end up taking more.
Idk why this happens, it’s info I got from a nurse, and intuitively it feels right.
But also, we have small bottles, too. Kirkland is the Costco brand, the place where you buy shit in bulk.
It’s like showing some natural peanut butter from the grocery store vs. a tub of jif from Sam’s club.
I think you replied to the wrong comment
Don’t know about Ibuprofen, but Paracetamol overdose is horrible, agonizing death.
Ibuprofen is for my migraines only. Nothing else touches those damn things.
2 for 1
