COVID HEADACHE: WHICH IS BETTER IBUPROFEN OR PARACETAMOL?
Headache is one of the most frequent symptoms with the new strain of Covid omicron.
A large number of patients present with a tension-type headache that is characterized by being bilateral, oppressive and continuous. Another type of headache that is also frequent is the migraine, characterized by discomfort with lights, noises and a feeling of nausea or the urge to vomit.
That we have a headache in a viral infection is nothing new or anything that should alarm us, we already have experience with colds and flu. What alarmed us above all at the beginning were the doubts that there were regarding which drugs could be a possible contraindication for Covid.
I'll tell you in advance that today and according to the Spanish Society of Neurology there is no evidence to contraindicate those medications that we usually take to treat headaches for other reasons.
Ibuprofen or Paracetamol?
Ibuprofen and paracetamol are the two most used analgesics and antipyretics in Spain and they will help us a lot to relieve pain in general, including headaches.
Above all, paracetamol is a medicine that at the correct doses is very effective and safe, it can even be taken by infants and pregnant women!
In the case of ibuprofen, a great controversy arose as it began to be said that it could cause a worsening in patients with Covid, but it was only an alarm. Today the recommendation is as follows: if you have already taken ibuprofen before and have no other contraindication, you can be very calm due to Covid.
Ibuprofen and paracetamol each have their flaws and virtues, so it is important that we know when to use each one.
Both reduce fever and pain, but ibuprofen also reduces inflammation, which will interest us in this new variant that comes with a lot of throat inflammation.
On the other hand, ibuprofen is considered gastrolesive, which means that it can irritate the mucosa of the stomach, so if we suffer from heartburn, upset stomach or diarrhea, it is much better that we take paracetamol.
When not to take ibuprofen?
Although it has already been denied that taking ibuprofen when we have Covid is harmful, there are people who are not recommended to take ibuprofen. They are the following:
- Pregnant or lactating.
- If you are already taking another anti-inflammatory, for example, for joint pain such as celecoxib or indomethacin... Ask us!
- If you are allergic to any type of NSAID (group of drugs to which ibuprofen belongs. Aspirin and other well-known anti-inflammatory drugs belong to it.
- If you are taking sintrom-type anticoagulants.
- If you suffer from stomach ulcers.
