Common arthritis drug acetaminophen or paracetamol, also known as Tylenol in the U.S., does not relieve osteoarthritis pain in the knee or hip, or improve join function, researchers have found. While acetaminophen performed slightly better in the controlled studies, researchers found that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) perform better in relieving short-term pain.
NSAIDs include diclofenac or ibuprofen such as Advil and Motrin. University of Bern's Dr. Sven Trelle, the study's lead researchers, said that regardless of dosage, they found that diclofenac is the most effective painkillers designed to relieve pain and improve function in osteoarthritis. Trelle co-directed the clinical trials conducted at the university in Switzerland.
The researchers warned that diclofenac has side effects. Trelle said that patients who are looking for painkiller options for osteoarthritis should consider the drug while keeping in mind that the majority of NSAIDs can increase the risk of developing heart disease and even death.
Trelle added that typically, NSAIDs are used in the treatment of short-term pain episodes in people who has osteoarthritis. This is because the side effects seem to be heavier than the benefits. As a result, paracetamol is widely prescribed for long-term pain treatment.
"However, our results suggest that paracetamol at any dose is not effective in managing pain in osteoarthritis, but that certain NSAIDs are effective and can be used intermittently without paracetamol," said Trelle.
McNeil Consumer Healthcare, the company that manufactures Tylenol, disagreed with the study findings. In a statement, the company said they disagree with the study author's meta-analysis interpretation.
McNeil believes that acetaminophen is a vital painkiller option, especially for consumers with conditions wherein NSAIDs is not applicable such as renal [kidney] disease, cardiovascular disease and gastrointestinal bleeding. In the statement, the company highlighted that its acetaminophen efficacy and safety profile is backed up with over 150 studies in the previous 50 years.
The new research was published in the journal The Lancet on March 17.
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