Dr. Robert A. Duarte, director of the Pain Center at Northwell Health in Great Neck, N.Y., cautioned that consumers should not be lulled into thinking that over-the-counter pain relievers are free from potential harm just because they are available on store shelves. Sales of over-the-counter medications exceeded $30 billion in 2015, with pain relievers ranking near the top, according to industry statistics. Those who take any kind of over-the-counter pain reliever around the clock for a week or more should see a specialist or their doctor, she added. The warnings surfaced because patients were taking Tylenol with other over-the-counter medications or prescriptions that also contained acetaminophen. If you have an underlying history of headaches and you are regularly taking over-the-counter pain relievers, you can be at risk of a “rebound headache” caused by the drugs wearing off and the onset of another headache.

Source: New York Times February 06, 2017 19:45 UTC