Acetaminophen ( Tylenol ) or Ibuprofen ( Advil ) for Coronavirus?
A report indicates that Acetaminophen (Tylenol) may be preferred over Ibuprofen (Advil) for coronavirus (fever).
The health minister of France, Olivier Veran, (a doctor and neurologist) said recently,
“The taking of anti-inflammatories [ibuprofen, cortisone … ] could be a factor in aggravating the infection. In case of fever, take paracetamol [acetaminophen, tylenol]. If you are already taking anti-inflammatory drugs, ask your doctor’s advice.”
Apparently, anti-inflammatory drugs are known to be a risk for those with infectious illnesses because they tend to diminish the response of the body’s immune system. Perhaps particularly important regarding Coronavirus.
Jean-Louis Montastruc, the head of pharmacology at Toulouse hospital, France, said:
~ theguardian.com
“Anti-inflammatory drugs increase the risk of complications when there is a fever or infection.”
Acetaminophen will reduce the fever without counterattacking the inflammation.
I first read about this from an article titled,
“French warn against anti-inflammatory drugs to treat coronavirus”
In the article, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and associate medical director for infection control at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital said in response to the French ministers statement,
she is aware generally of what the French are saying and believes it’s probably based on a single study and therefore she is reluctant to accept any blanket statement. Also, the study would be looking at data from a lab setting and that the results in real life could be different. If more data comes out she might change her mind, she said.
Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen?
I just wanted to put this information out there.
If I personally happen to get the COVID-19 Coronavirus, I believe that my choice of fever reducer medication may be Acetaminophen. If and when more information comes out on this subject, I will update this post.
[ Read: Pandemic Survival ]
[ Read: Natural Remedies to Boost Immune System ]
Interesting my wife is allergic to nsaid’s so it’s Tylenol for her either way.
Tylenol has never helped me with aches and pains. With the Covid there are many pains. Having a roughy time not popping an ibuprofen
WELL… I’m on 800 Ibuprofen for this stinking Shingles Nerve Damage Pain.
Time to yack with the Doc, see what they think.
Wondering after reading your Article Ken, if one should stop the Turmeric Mix for Inflammation???
NRP,
Did you try gabapentin? Starting at a low dose twice daily? That’s a lot of ibuprofen :/
luv ya’ll, Beach’n
Beach’n;
Yes, had a scrip for it starting at 300, than down to 100.
Made me very dizzy.
Finished the script but not for me at all.
Thank you for the suggestion
That’s also an addictive drug that really doesn’t work that well. Went through it with the wife for pain management. Father takes it now for shingles
THIS IS INTERESTING. I TOO AM TAKING 800 MG OF IBUPROFEN FOR PARKINSON’S & OCULAR MIGRAINES. I ALSO AM VERY ALLERGIC TO TYLENOL. SO WHAT’S A GIRL TO DO??
Pamela, there are a lot of antiviral agents in the plant world. oregano, and garlic are two. Put in a search and get some, take by directions on bottle. as a daily preventative.. while you are searching put into search bar in several ways..holistic or natural antivirals. you should come up with another list of things that include colliodal silver… etc. If you prevent the virus from taking hold you will not need to be concerned with tylenol.
First, don’t get the virus. Take all sensible precautions to avoid infection.
Regarding medical advice, the BEST thing to do is consult with your doctor.
Gabapentin worked best for my shingles
NRP
Did the doctor tell you it was hard on your liver?
Do know if this will work for you but witch hazel, applied on the skins surface will stop the itching and pain. If you need a healing ointment try Calendula suave.
I use it when I break out from poison oak that the cats bring in on their fur.
Tylenol is the liver damage drug. Had a friend years back whos 22 year old daughter died of acute liver failure from Tylenol. Ibuprofen is filtered through the kidneys if I recall correctly.
Ibuprofen is also an anti-coagulant so anyone with bleeding problems should avoid it.
Mrs. U,
You are correct…
I know Advil effects the kidneys but when my kidneys act up and don’t filter out the uric acid properly, I get a bout of gout. That’s why I cringe when I get a bout because I use Advil for the swelling and pain associated with gout. I also drink cranberry juice and take cranberry supplements, both help kick my kidneys into working properly.
Jabba, TRY Cherry Juice, or tart cherry capsules. both work for a DFM.
JS,
I tried cherries, they don’t work for me. Cranberries do though…
Antique Collector:
Yes was cautioned. Luckily I have cut 90% usage out.
Im hard enough on the liver as it is 😁
My wife’s grandmother used cold compresses saturated with baking soda, the poor woman had it right where the the bra strap came around her ribs.
NRP have you read anything that gives you concern about Turmeric? Not sure what else is in your “mix”?
Just a few minutes of Google Fu found several decent articles that show Turmeric is recommended for fighting corona virus.
I use it as well as my spouse as Mr. Arthritis knows us very well and we KNOW when we forget out Turmeric for a day or so.
me2:
Thanks, will look it up, I do like the turmeric for these old joints.
And your right, skip it for a week or two……
Since the shelves here are empty of man made medications, I stocked up on garlic, ginger, and peppermint for possible fevers. See …sometimes even us hippies have something intelligent to say ;)
TO BE CLEAR, NONE OF THIS IS MEDICAL ADVICE.
People have their own conditions and should take advice from their doctor.
(just saying)
As always do your own research and and make your own informed decisions. Get your info from multiple sources.
Indeed. Good advice.
Our family just got over the regular FLU for the kids we alternated between the two ibu and Tylenol Kids are tough to control their fevers run high… 105 fever then we used both to control plus Ice packs do not forget ice packs… Kid was wrapped up under the blanket thats why it went high.
Ice packs Placed under the armpits will drop your temp by 2 degrees with in 20 minutes that and kick the blanket off of you just sleep in shorts and a t shirt. Also sitting outside in the cold air will drop your core temperature. In an emergency Ice bath is best or no ice just a clod shower to lower your core temp… a few degrees drop is all you need to stay out of danger in most cases.
Controlling a fever can be very difficult.
Back in the ‘olden days’ 1950’s my parents used to use rubbing alcohol to bring down my fever. Can still smell the vapors!
I remember that and I think it worked
I remember ice water with a bottle of rubbing alcohol added using a wash cloth. It brought down the fever alright!!
danger with alcohol baths is alcohol poisoning. if only way to get down quickly would limit …very tightly.
True enough and I wouldn’t recommend it as a regular practice.
This was well over fifty years ago in a rural hospital. When high fevers (105+) wouldn’t break they pulled out the “big guns”. Anyway it worked. Just a memory from long ago.
Keep safe,
WC,
When we were kids, my sister used to spike a fever every time she got sick. I can’t remember the amount of times we had to put her in the tub with cool water…
Cool NOT cold.
Be careful, you could put the person in shock by lowering the core temp too fast.
SARS-CoV2 appears to be the other name for this virus.
It’s not just another flu….
That name has been known for awhile, the official name. They gave it the moniker COVID-19 for ease of communication. However, most people I know of, and even media, still just call it coronavirus.
New,
Don’t forget the (L) or (S) designation. There are 2 types.
There was an article over on Zerohedge about how during the Spanish Flu people who where kept in well ventilated spaces and/or brought outside into fresh air and sunshine had a far lower death rate. Not much of medication back then…
kiwimir — interesting.
also, re the Spanish flu (and others of the time), it was around the time “aspirin” became available to dose with. I have read many articles figuring that quite possibly the aspirin was instrumental in increasing death rate/complications. Thinking in articles I have read was that because it was new, and did work for fever and pain, the thinking at the time may have been if some is good/more is better. In some of these articles, it was claimed the symptoms form toxic aspirin overdose were similar/somewhat similar to noted death “symptoms”.
Now, there is the recommendation (re COVID-19) to not use aspirin or other anti inflammatory, as it increases virulence, damage to cells etc .
Maybe it was also this “new” insight which also contributed to historic fatalities.
My grandmother told me she was a little girl during the Spanish flu. She remembers her mother putting on old clothes and going to work in the hospital with flu victims. When she came home my grandpa would have an outside fire burning and she would strip out her clothes before going in the house and her clothes were burned. No one in the family caught the flu. Interesting story I will always remember.
Look up “Cytokine storm”. Advil & elderberry, among others are not advised for COVID-19.
That is the word I could not recall. We were posting about it a few days ago. The immune system gets out of control so to speak.
I looked it up and it says there hasn’t been an case of elderberry causing a cytokine storm.
Alaskagirl,
I looked this up also. My reference says it moderates cytokines in the body. I think the trick with elderberry is to be taking it before being exposed, as it kind of acts like a systemic antiviral, preventing any virus from replicating in your body. No virus replicating most likely means lower chance of cytokine storms, if I understand this right.
I have been taking elderberry for around four years and i have found it has to be in the system to be really effective. Taking it a the first sign of illness might help to shorten the duration but doesn’t seem to stave it off, in my experience anyway.
AlaskaGirl and Others,
Elderberry works (on most viruses) by inhibiting key enzymes necessary in the replication process. The idea is to prevent the virus from getting a foothold. You have to understand that the number of virus particles per ML is important. The lower the number, the less likely you are to experience symptoms.
having elderberry already present STOPS replication of the viral families.
no replication= no cytokine storm. herbal info already referenced Bulher
Veteran posted this yesterday or Saturday. Found it very interesting because I would prefer ibuprofen. Tylenol does not help me very much.
Tylenol is hard on the liver, but Advil, Aspirin, and Aleve are hard on the kidneys, so like most things take them in moderation?
Seminole Wind,
Whenever I get a headache the only thing that works for me is Excedrine. I guess I’m just destroying everything. lol 😆
Tylenol is much easier on the stomach than the others. I’ve seen G.I. bleeds from people who drank hard liquor a lot and took lots of aspirin.
Milk thistle can detoxify and help repair liver damage from alcohol and tylenol.
@Romeo Charlie
Drinking low fat (2%) Milk Thistle is most effective if taken when your are standing naked in -40F weather. After following this recommendation you will no longer have a problem with your liver.
Texas Boy — likely don’t have any sort of problems if one does that, grin….
on the other hand, think I saw a article on some far northern (cold) country (Norway?)(Iceland?), where it was common for the men to sit in an outdoor steam hut, and then run and jump into water through a hole chopped in ice. ….
As long as you keep below 3000mg of acetaminophen per 24hr period ( no more than 6 tabs of extra strength Tylenol) you would avoid liver toxicity
It used to be 4000mg but label changed a few years ago
There was talk about possible shortages in future of acetaminophen as component in generic come from India and they are limiting the export of ingredient
I wonder what the Italians use for a pain killer. That might explain the larger death count.
Eli Wags — interesting idea…I googled and came up with this..(of course, once sick/in hospital might have been different)
” In 2018, Tachipirina was the best-selling non-prescription medication in Italian pharmacies.”
“Paracetamol is reported as an ingredient of Tachipirina ” “Paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen”
Any medication that represses the immune system should be very cautious. Many people with asthma use prednisone medications.- Prednisone is a corticosteroid. It prevents the release of substances in the body that cause inflammation. It also suppresses the immune system. Prednisone is used as an anti-inflammatory or an immunosuppressant medication.
Parents with asthmatic children or young adults with asthma should be extra careful and isolated from potential infected carriers of the coronavirus.
Wolfgar,
NO DOUBT!!. I’ve been hearing that even if you survive this you will have damage to the lungs. As in, you will have a decreased percentage of lung function.
I have scarred lung tissue and asthma already. (40+ years) This virus scares the crap out of me… I have extra albuterol and I am on Symbicort as a maint. drug.
I have been wearing a N95 for over a month now and when it gets closer I will be wearing a N99..
My nephew, “who is in his late 30’s” has had bad asthma most of his life. We are taking extra precautions with him. I have read very little on the coronavirus danger with asthmatics. They usually just say, “underlying or previous medical problems” without giving details. Sounds like you are already ahead of the game, which is a good thing.
Wolfgar,
Ya, those underlying medical conditions are “any” lung conditions as some of the serious case turn into pneumonia…
My scarred lung tissue is from when I was kid and had bronchitis and pneumonia at the same time. My asthma is from that and allergies. When I was a kid I was at 75% lung capacity…
Slap a mask on him now. A N95 at the least. Have him and everyone around him, get used to it now. I have been wearing a mask in my office for a while now. At first everyone asked why. I said allergies. Which at the time was true. I switched to a N95 because of Covid and no one noticed or said anything. I have a feeling that I’m going to be wearing a mask for a while too.
He is isolated in his home and he hopefully will listen and follow every protocol we have given him. All of us live in the country, “including his father who lives close to him” and keeping a careful eye on him. The problem is other people who may be contagious and try to visit him, postal deliveries, mail, etc. Sounds like you have the right attitude and are being very careful. Good luck!
Wolfgar –might be of too little use for nephew (or maybe not). am sure he has his inhalers and remedies…But, just in case, lack of refills etc, here is something which has actually offered relief to some I know (as an emergency sort of stop gap). Also, by accident , have also seen it recommended on some “natural” product remedy shows….
take a fair size cup/container, and fill half full of coffee. Stick nose in and breathe. It seems to ease asthmatic and bronchial spasms. Must be fresh/hot, and only seems to work while hot/steam is coming off. Caffeine free does not seem to work. Good strong instant or perk or drip (NOT Folgers, don’t know why, does not seem to work as well). Can be made at home, or bought from those corners stores which have the commercial coffee makers (handy if one is driving, travelling). Must be hot/steam and fumes coming off it. Once it is cold/coolish seems to stop working. Passing it on “just in case”.
Thank you for the advice, I have never heard about that method and will pass the information on to him. Home remedies maybe a necessity in the not so near future. Thank’s again :)
Wolfgar = you’re welcome. I pass it on, because I have seen it work, in some fairly bad situations. Had lots of folks laugh at me when I suggested it… but hmmph and hmm when it apparently worked.
Theophylline is an old medication used for cops/asthma
It is in xanthine family
(So is caffeine) and it can improve breathing by opening airways
Probably why coffee works
But always carry around the rescue inhaler (usually albuterol) just in case
Fireswamp — cool info, thanks
I don’t listen to anything the French have to say. These are the people that because the PM said not to gather in the streets because of the covid19 spreading, they gathered in the streets to protest. Real smart.
No one has listened to the French since, Louis Pasteur…
I now have stage 3 kidney disease for ibuprofen just like you’re taking. Be very careful…
I would be curious to know the extent at which you took ibuprofen which may have attributed to your condition. Maybe it will help others.
Recommendations generally indicate, MAXIMUM of 4,000 mg (4 grams) per day. Do your own due-diligence but that’s what I’ve read and have been told by doctors.
ditto. Current kidney concerns, with erratic hypertension and a long habit with Ibuprofen.
Ken,
4,000mg really???? that’s like 20 of those little brown 200 mg pills a day. Ouch. Man, now I really feel bad for folks that have to take that much for pain. I used to gage how rough a day I had had by how many pills I took before bed. a “4 -Ibuprofen night” meant I had a really rough day. I won’t go near Tylenol all. I’d rather suffer through a fever than take that amount of drugs.
Yes, that’s what I’ve heard for absolute max. I’ve never taken that much. That said, do your own due-diligence. This is NOT medical advice.
Actually maximum dose of daily ibuprofen should not exceed 3200mg in 24 hr period
(Usual doses 1200mg to 2400mg dose divided through the day)
Your 4000mg daily is probably the Old acetaminophen max dose per day before recommendations changed
Currently no more than 3000mg per day of Tylenol !
Just got caught up on Dr. John Campbell’s latest videos, and the one where he talks about fevers is very interesting. Makes a pretty good case for letting fevers run their course (in adults), since the virus fighting agents in our system work best when warmer. While he didn’t specify, I would imagine there’s some number you wouldn’t want your temperature to get over, but perhaps something up to about 101-102F might be more beneficial than not? Perhaps get rid of the infection sooner?
Finally,
I have been saying this for a while. At least for myself, I’ll take the fever and skip the drugs and let my immune system try to fry the virus out. If I get too hot at some point I can always run through the vineyard naked at night, or jump in the irrigation canal.
Fever is a temperature higher than 100.4 F
Once temperatures are higher than 103-104F then it’s considered a high fever and there’s increased risk of mental confusion or seizures
A temperature 106F or higher is in DANGER zone and untreated could lead to brain damage or death (ie frying your brain)
(hyperpyrexia an internal cause of high body temperature
Hyperthermia is an external cause of high body temperature)
Usually you don’t have to reflex treat a temperature if it’s low grade and not bothering you- there were studies in animals and cell cultures that showed some benefits of temperature helping your immune response
Hope this helps clarify