Tylenol & Ibuprofen Results on Par with Opioids for Long-Term Pain

(Summer 2018) New research concludes that ibuprofen, Tylenol and lidocaine performed similarly to opioid painkillers during a year-long study. Users in both groups of medication reported comparable improvements in quality of life, a strong argument can be made for physicians to prefer a non-opioid medication for the management of chronic pain in cases of hip, back, or knee discomfort.

The research results stand in opposition to a now years-long practice in which American physicians have prescribed opioids for chronic pain, although little was known about the long-term efficacy of these potentially addictive medications.

Due to the growing opioid crisis, over the last several years doctors have begun prescribing medications other than opioids for chronic musculoskeletal pain.

For more information on this topic, see NPR’s informative post, “Questions and Answers About Opioids And Chronic Pain.”

See all current Alcohol and Drug Trends articles.