Image description: A bottle of Ibuprofen containing 1000 tablets.


(Originally published earlier today on mastodon.social)

    • MrsDoyle@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      The small size packet for paracetamol is because you can kill yourself with it. A big enough dose will fuck your liver up, so that even if you survive you’ll need a transplant. It’s also extremely painful, apparently. So it’s best not to be able to buy a fatal dose on a whim.

      Please don’t think of doing it, life is beautiful and full of possibilities, even if some days that’s hard to believe.

  • Aielman15@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    Can confirm, I’m European and my mind cannot comprehend this.

    1000 pills? I’ve never seen so many pills all at once. Do you use them to flavor your dishes or something?

        • tinyVoltron@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          Hearing Europeans mock how much we pay for health care never gets old. I mean, the stupid high bills just don’t get the point across. I would be ecstatic with a single payer system supported by taxes. A system that doesn’t rely on an insurance company whose sole purpose is to deny me the coverage I am due. My favorite part is the fake astronomical prices they put on stuff just to charge insurance companies a “negotiated” price. I get that we, as a nation, truly suck. At best we are a corporatocracy. At worst, a straight oligarchy. We’ve got a feeble minded , racist, oompa loompa running for a second term as president. And he has a legit chance of winning! There is almost no part of our society that does not suck in some way. And the vast majority of us know it but the government is so bought and paid for that no real change is possible without bullets. But please, my European brothers and sisters, can you please stop rubbing it on our faces. I assure you we hurt enough already. (edit: a word)

          • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
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            10 months ago

            Agreed. Like any cheap shot, it must be used strategically to remain classy.

            Signed: A Canadian.

            Edit: Of course, using all your shots at once in a busy place would be more American! BAHA! See what I did there???

          • Wanderer@lemm.ee
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            10 months ago

            I went to New Zealand and tried to get some prescription medication. But because I’m not here for 2 years I couldn’t register with a doctor!

            So I had to pay for a private doctor. I found out online was the cheapest so I did that to save as much money as I could. Then when I got to the chemist they asked if I was here for 2 years and because I wasn’t I had to pay the foreigner price for my prescription. I felt like I was in America! Paying to see the doctor and for my medicine. All in all it came out to NZ$75 for two unrelated issues and the meds.

          • Gabu@lemmy.world
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            10 months ago

            Except your taxes as an american are often higher, but don’t help you in any way.

      • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
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        10 months ago

        So how many do you take a day, for this to make sense? A dead liver is also a big medical bill, I assume, but maybe that’s a future you problem.

        • brygphilomena@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          Ibuprofen is metabolized in the kidneys, not the liver. That’s acetaminophen.

          Dosage is 2 pills every 4 hours. But prescription strength is equal to 4 of these, so it could be as many as 16 a day.

          • Aielman15@lemmy.world
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            10 months ago

            16 a day? A medical prescription here would usually target 1200 mg/day, maybe go as far as 2400 mg/day, but not a single milligram more, as that’s the maximum daily dose recommended before side effects start cropping up. You’re taking 3200 mg/day for extended periods of time? You’re poisoning yourself trying to escape pain.

          • Gabu@lemmy.world
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            10 months ago

            That’s actually insane. I never saw anyone taking more than 200mg every 8 hour, even after surgery.

    • ohlaph@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      We need them because it’s cheaper than going to the doctor. Headache? Ibuprofen. Cold or flu? Ibuprofen. Shattered femur? Ibuprofen.

          • brygphilomena@lemmy.world
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            10 months ago

            Mainly just on the label. At a certain point their effectiveness may decrease slightly, but they dont go bad in any harmful way. Nor do they just stop working.

            • EssentialCoffee@midwest.social
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              10 months ago

              A lot of Americans have been trained to only look at dates and throw everything out after. It creates a lot of unnecessary waste.

              I know people who throw out everything if it hits the date. Milk, eggs, yogurt, sour cream, canned goods. Food that’s still fine, but the magical date has been hit so they must buy more and feed the consumption machine.

    • anivia@lemmy.ml
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      10 months ago

      Well, they are 200mg pills so you will need to take 4 at once for them to make a difference, multiple times per day

  • waigl@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    Do Americans need these giant packs to deal with daily life in America?

    • TootSweet@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      That and to deal with the symptoms of their illnesses that have gone untreated because a) too expensive and/or b) doctors here gaslight you that it’s just anxiety.

      • Fester@lemm.ee
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        10 months ago

        My wife just paid $150 to go to a walk-in to check what is clearly a swollen blocked gland or something under her ear. It’s killing her. She was there for an hour. The doctor was in and out in under 2 minutes. He told her to take Tylenol and come back when it gets worse.

        So yeah, it’s cheaper and you waste less time buying OTC pain killers in bulk I guess.

        • maynarkh@feddit.nl
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          10 months ago

          This sounds insane.

          I’ve heard ear infections can develop into stuff that can only be treated with IV antibiotics taken for months, otherwise they’re deadly. Stay safe.

        • owen@lemmy.ca
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          10 months ago

          LOL.

          “Come back later when it’s time to remove the entire ear.”

    • MrJameGumb@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      No. This was purchased because someone thought it was a “great deal”. They will use about a quarter of the bottle before it expires and then just throw the rest out.

      • LemmyIsFantastic@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        Not everyone is a lonely neck beard. Some folks live with families, and some of those family members might just have to take a daily pill or two daily.

        • Technofrood@feddit.uk
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          10 months ago

          If someone is having to take an Ibuprofen a day, for long enough to make a 1000 pill a worthwhile purchase, they really should be seeing a doctor to actually treat the underlying cause, because you really shouldn’t be constantly taking it long term.

          • ImTryingLemmy@lemmy.world
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            10 months ago

            Doc said I can either pay the copay on 800mg generic Ibuprofen and wait in line at the pharmacy or eat 4 of these. Daily ibuprofen won’t give me a habit and my pain isn’t so bad that I would even want opioid medication.

            It’s way cheaper to buy the 200mg in bulk.

            • fiercekitten@lemm.ee
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              10 months ago

              I was told by a doctor that Ibuprofen daily at 800mg for more than a week or two can cause stomach ulcers that can be extremely dangerous to your health. Someone close to me took this amount for over a month and had extreme ulcers in her stomach because her idiotic doctor told her to.

              Also, there was a recent study that came out that mentioned taking ibuprofen daily can worsen the pain you’re trying to treat.

        • MrJameGumb@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          Are you suggesting that anyone who doesn’t use up all of their over the counter medications before they expire is a “lonely neckbeard”?

          That seems like a harsh judgement

          • LemmyIsFantastic@lemmy.world
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            10 months ago

            No. Just those that only can consider quantities for a single person and bitches mouths off about it online. Those are the neckbeards.

            • Gabu@lemmy.world
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              10 months ago

              Brother, here you can’t even buy a card with more than 20 tablets or a box with more than 60 (3 cards of 20), and they’ve always worked fine for my family of 5. Should I also mention that my mother suffers of chronic back pain? As usual, 'murican culture is a culture of unnecessary excess.

            • MrJameGumb@lemmy.world
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              10 months ago

              Some of us may have beards on our necks, but I suspect you may have a neckbeard around your heart

              💔

        • marcos@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          Well, and I guess some people run a hospital on their backyard. I did hear backyards on the US are large.

      • Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        Everyone I know who buys these will definitely use them before they expire. Most common reasons seem to be back pain and headaches.

      • brbposting@sh.itjust.works
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        10 months ago

        Feel bad for the sucker who sees this and only buys one.

        alt-text: screenshot of bottle of 1000 CVS ibuprofen, “Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off; $29.79; 3.0¢/ea.”

    • GoodEye8@lemm.ee
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      10 months ago

      The part where you need 1000 tablets, that’s more than a lifetime supply. If you need that many you’re better off visiting the doctor and fix whatever the issue is.

      • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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        10 months ago

        Some have frequent need for them. It’s not a specifically American thing to have chronic pain…

        • Gabu@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          Chronic pain patients in civilized countries get a prescription note for a single card of, say, 20 tablets, then visit their local pharmacy in a walkable neighborhood to get their free medicine every other week or so.

      • radicalautonomy@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        A very sizeable percentage of Americans can’t even afford rent on a one-bedroom apartment working two jobs, and they don’t have health insurance. There is no “going to the doctor” when paying out of pocket at even just the clinic costs more than a week’s wages. Between chronic discomfort and homelessness, they choose discomfort.

      • Thrashy@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        Tell me you don’t have chronic headaches without telling me you don’t have chronic headaches

          • Thrashy@lemmy.world
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            10 months ago

            What would you suggest as an alternative, then? Most sources list ibuprofen as the first line drug of choice for moderate tension headache.

            • woohoo@reddthat.com
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              10 months ago

              In Europe, generally paracetamol (brand name Tylenol in the US) is recommended for headaches / the common cold / flu, and ibuprofen for muscle aches / inflammation.

              For something more severe, they’ll recommend taking one type of painkiller, waiting 2 hours, taking the other, then 2 hours later repeating the process.

              Asprin is has mostly fallen out of usage as a painkiller, but is sometimes still used for heart / blood problems.

              These painkillers are out of patent, so there is never a good reason to pay more for a fancy brand.

              • Thrashy@lemmy.world
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                10 months ago

                That’s long been my approach with the starting meds reversed (ibuprofen, then Tylenol if needed). Acetaminophen/paracetamol’s therapeutic dosage is much closer to the amount required for liver toxicity than Ibuprofen’s is for kidneys, so I think it’s better to start with the lower-risk medication. If I’m in the middle of a multi-day episode that’s well-managed with just one medication at the regular dosing schedule, I will often alternate between them.

              • BeMoreCareful@lemmy.world
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                10 months ago

                Acetaminophen is pretty rough on livers and kidneys. People also overdose on it pretty routinely as a lethal dose is like eight pills.

                I prefer ibuprofen, but only because I’m a little chicken when it comes to stuff like that.

                • Gabu@lemmy.world
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                  10 months ago

                  as a lethal dose is like eight pills.

                  Nobody in a civilized country takes EIGHT fucking pills, unless they want to die. A full card usually has less than 20.

              • derf82@lemmy.world
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                10 months ago

                Tylenol (we call it acetaminophen generically) never worked as well for me as ibuprofen. Plus, it is way too easy to destroy your liver with Tylenol.

                Plus I like the method of action. NSAIDs help control inflammation. Tylenol just blocks pain receptors.

      • RampantParanoia2365@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        …fixing general muscle pain? What do you expect a doctor to resolve there? This is fucking Ibuprofen. Advil. Am I taking crazy pills or is this thread actually happening in real life?

        • GoodEye8@lemm.ee
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          10 months ago

          General muscle pain, as in pain after exercising? A few times? Sure, I get that. Regularly enough to buy 1000 Ibuprofen tablets? Pretty sure that’s not recommended.

    • mint_tamas@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      You can only absorb 400mg in one dose, so 200 is a great idea (you get to choose taking one or two). Any excess you take will not have an effect on your pain.

  • Railcar8095@lemm.ee
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    10 months ago

    This bottle has more active component than I would expect any pharmacy to have in stock, considering all dosages and formats.

    Unless you live in the jungle and only go to the city once every two years, this doesn’t seem reasonable

  • DrRatso@lemmy.ml
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    10 months ago

    For when you really refuse to deal with the underlying issues causing pain, i guess.

    • theluckyone@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Someone obviously doesn’t have rheumatoid arthritis, or any other one of a plethora of painful diseases. Even with my biologics, flare ups happen, and ibuprofen takes the edge off.

      On the other hand, maybe Europe has cured RA, and just hasn’t shared it with the rest of the world?

      • DrRatso@lemmy.ml
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        10 months ago

        Sure, NSAIDS are great, but 99.9% of RA patients still shouldn’t need 1000 tablets of half strength Ibuprofen if they are actually seeing their rheumatologist. We usually use coxibs for prolonged therapy supplementing with paracetamole or paracetamole codeine as needed. Most of the time pain control is achieved quickly via steroids and we generally recommend patients to try and avoid NSAIDS once they are started on steroids.

        • theluckyone@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          Nice to know I’m the 0.1% of some club. Wish it wasn’t this one.

          Prednisone helped out immensely, but that’s a deal with the devil… Gonna pay for that if I stayed on it. Methotrexate was decent, but it would knock me on my butt and make me unreasonably short tempered the day after taking it (and that was splitting the dose up overnight). Biologics (Humira, Enbrel, Cimzia, Simponi Aria infusions) all worked for nine months, then I’d start flaring up after each dose. Rheum said my immune system was building up antibodies against the biologic proteins, and confirmed via one test (Enbrel, if I remember right, but I could be wrong).

          On Rinvoq now. Does the job most days, but I’ll still flare up once every couple months. Ibuprofen helps on those days. After seeing painkillers blow out my aunt’s kidneys, I’m happy to stay off the ibuprofen as much as I can.

          • DrRatso@lemmy.ml
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            10 months ago

            Yea, thats the one problem with RA we have, in fact, solved in the EU. 🤷🏻‍♂️

  • cosmicrookie@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    You can’t buy more than 10 at a time here unless you have a prescription… On the plus side, you can almost get them for free if you do have a prescription

      • cosmicrookie@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        You can get them if you have a prescription so if the doctor seems a good reason, there is no problem. Note that its free to visit the doctor and free to get a prescription. Also prescribed medication is cheaper than over the counter medication even if it is the same medication. The state helps cover the cost of prescribed medications.

        That said, it’s better to fight the cause of the pain instead of the pain, You can also get physiotherapy prescribed or other treatment that will help against whatever is hurting.

        Also construction work is often very safe and protected both by education and insurance due to unions. Although its hard work it is often strongly regulated and controlled to follow rules that will protect workers from getting hurt or worn out

        • owen@lemmy.ca
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          10 months ago

          You sound like you are from some kind of ultra based future society

        • ChexMax@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          Damn, so do women get automatic prescriptions then? Period cramps are no joke! It would suck to have to keep buying those at 10 at a time endlessly. How often do you have to see the doctor to renew the script? Because that’s also a time suck.

          • Gabu@lemmy.world
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            10 months ago

            Damn, so do women get automatic prescriptions then?

            In fact, they pretty much do, yes. Just got to ask the doctor during a regular visit. Do not that I’m Brazilian, not European, but Brazil is essentially a fusion of Portugal and Italy.

          • thegiddystitcher@lemm.ee
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            10 months ago

            Most women I know (including myself) aren’t in excruciating agony for the entire time they’re bleeding. But admittedly there’s always the occasional one that’s way worse than usual, and sometimes I’ll go through a whole box of 16 ibuprofen during the week.

            In which case we just…add a new box onto the shopping delivery for a few pence? It’s not like it’s some kind of major hassle, it’s just one more click on the weekly shop, and we tend to always keep a spare box around just in case of emergencies.

          • cosmicrookie@lemmy.world
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            10 months ago

            No automatic prescriptions based on gender. Only if there is a need for them. If the doctor deems painkillers necessary though, then yes. Often they will work on finding a solution that helps minimize pain instead of treating the pain. That said, most people do just fine with 10 pieces at a time. You can buy them everywhere so it’s not difficult to get some of you need them.

            Prescriptions can be “chronic” so they don’t run out or limited. You can have it renewed when it expires though. You can do this on an app (or phone call) and your doctor will evaluate and my extend the prescription.

    • Blackmist@feddit.uk
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      10 months ago

      In the UK you get them in boxes of 16 and you can buy 2 boxes at a time.

      I assume the amount required to overdose and die is quite a bit higher than that.

        • theluckyone@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          Or longer. My aunt was diagnosed with failing kidneys, but the doc’s were having difficulty understanding why. She’d never had a problem with diabetes or the usual causes. Then she explained how she’d been covering up her back pain for years using pain meds.

          Now she’s having dialysis sessions a couple times a week. Doc gives her a few more years of this, unless some miracle occurs and she finds a replacement kidney. Miserable way to go.

      • cosmicrookie@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        I don’t think the concern is due to the risk of death but to prevent addiction and overuse.

        Ibuprofen is not good for kidneys and can also affect bone growth and regeneration (if remember right)

  • southsamurai@sh.itjust.works
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    10 months ago

    Must not be many motherfuckers with arthritis over there if they’ve never seen bulk NSAIDs.

    Shit, that’s barely a month’s supply for a good month for me.

    • Perfide@reddthat.com
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      10 months ago

      The absolute maximum amount anyone should be taking in a single day would be 16 of these, and that’s spread throughout an entire 24 hours, and not on a consistent basis.

      Finishing this bottle in a month would require taking 33 of these pills a day, everyday. How are you alive?

      • southsamurai@sh.itjust.works
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        10 months ago

        I may be miscounting.

        Let’s see, three at a time most days, with 4 on bad days.

        That’s every five hours, unless I have shit to do.

        So that’s 3×4 minimum a day. On average it’s higher, what with bad days and having a teenager which means having to do shit I can’t just avoid. So 12 a day times 30 days is 360 minimum.

        February, I got a new bottle on the second or third, and I have about 200 left, unless I miscounted. February was bad though.

        But that does mean I was wrong in my guesstimate. I just end up buying a bottle every month, which isn’t really the same thing as taking the entire bottle.

        As to the consequences of the over use, it takes a lot of pepcid and other options to keep things under control. But the doc refuses to prescribe other NSAIDs because of the supposed heart risk, and aleve fucks me up even worse. Seriously, the amount of blood coming out of places it shouldn’t on aleve was ridiculous.

        But what else can I do? Fucking hands don’t work without something to reduce the inflammation. You can’t stay on steroids long term at all, and it isn’t the pain that’s what keeps them from working, it’s the stiffness, so opiates are useless.

        3 at a time is just enough to function most days. And there’s days where it’s every 4 hours instead of 5, but I do keep an eye on things. So far, no ulcers, no bleeding, just a lot of heartburn and some cramping. I think it helps that I always take them with food of some kind. Kidneys are doing fine as of October. No liver issues either, though that’s not a high risk.

        Plus, I do take breaks from it when I know I won’t need the movement range as much. Every few months, even if I have to tell people to bugger off lol.

        Damn though, there was a time when I had decided that I’d rather die from the medications than live with what they treat. The arthritis is mostly in my hands, but I have other musculoskeletal issues, and was essentially unable to walk without extra support for a year or two back in 08. So I was throwing down two Tylenol, 4 ibuprofen, and whatever herbal shit I could find at every dose, every four hours. If that didn’t kill me, I reckon I’m going to survive as it is for a while longer.

        • smooth_tea@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          Not to alarm you, but ibuprofen, like any other nsaid, increases the risk of stroke and heart related issues from as soon as the first week of taking it.

          Cannabinoids are known to be anti inflammatory, have you tried that?

          • southsamurai@sh.itjust.works
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            10 months ago

            Nah, that’s why the doc won’t prescribe anything similar to it.

            And yeah, I finally tried some CBD oil. It helps, but the price is such that it can’t be an every day thing.

            I was hesitant because I have bad reactions to proper marijuana, be it edibles or smoked. But CBD does work (and not just for the pain/stiffness) without side effects I can detect.

            I’ve thought about trying delta 8, but that same concern over dealing with hours of unpleasantness places it at the back of the list along with its price tag.

            I

            • smooth_tea@lemmy.world
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              10 months ago

              Perhaps a combination of THC and CBD could help alleviate some of the side effects. But yeah, it is very pricey and it really shouldn’t be, we’re in a bit of a CBD gold rush.

            • smooth_tea@lemmy.world
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              10 months ago

              Nah, that’s why the doc won’t prescribe anything similar to it.

              You know you can look this up yourself right? This isn’t an opinion of mine.

              • southsamurai@sh.itjust.works
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                10 months ago

                I don’t need to look it up, my doctor refuses to prescribe them to me because of it. Did I fuck up somehow in my response? I am dyslexic, so I do sometimes.

                • smooth_tea@lemmy.world
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                  10 months ago

                  No it’s not that, but I took away from your reply that your doctor is implying that ibuprofen is ok, did I read that correctly?

    • BananaTrifleViolin@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      This drugs can be prescribed in bulk, they just can’t be bought without prescription in bulk over the counter.

      This is part of laws to prevent suicide. Paracetamol is easier to suicide with and limited; Ibuprofen is not easy to take a fatal dose on but can cause serious side effect, and people are often ignorant about how deadly a drug is.

      So to stop people taking ibuprofen instead of paracetamol, they’re all limited to a certain amount per transaction.

      And for someone with an arthritis they’d probably be getting the meds on prescription and for free rather than expected to go to a pharmacy and buy 1000 off the shelf.

      • southsamurai@sh.itjust.works
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        10 months ago

        Ah, gotcha! That males sense.

        Alas, it’s hard to find a doctor that will prescribe the higher amounts long term here, because of the cardiac risks for my age group.

    • LwL@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      My stepdad has arthritis, he gets prescribed packs of 600mg ibu, with like 5x20 blister packs in a pack or something around that number. It’s mainly that at least in germany pill bottles don’t exist, and probably some other EU countries too. Might be illegal for safety reasons or something, all I ever see in bottles are supplements and such. Medication is always in blister packs. I kind of dislike how wasteful that seems.

      I have also never seen 200mg ibu though, only 400 and 600.

      • southsamurai@sh.itjust.works
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        10 months ago

        Yeah, blister packs seem like such a bad idea compared to a bottle, environmentally. I can see the safety issue for sure though.

      • southsamurai@sh.itjust.works
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        10 months ago

        Pretty fucking rough some days. But it’s the only real option.

        The other two typically useful drugs for arthritis, naproxen and meloxicam are a no-go because of other issues.

  • Pistcow@lemm.ee
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    10 months ago

    Imagine being an American with pain or explosive diarrhea while in Europe or wanting to get a coffee before 10am.

      • Pistcow@lemm.ee
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        10 months ago

        Many common over the counter drugs in America are banned or require prescriptions in Europe. Ibuprofen and pesto/imodium require prescriptions, and they’re not too fond of giving you them. Fun things you learn while traveling Europe with migraines and shiting thunder. Remember to pack enough while traveling.

        • Mananasi@feddit.nl
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          10 months ago

          It does depend on the country. In the Netherlands you can buy ibuprofen no problem for instance.

        • The Octonaut@mander.xyz
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          10 months ago

          No they don’t?

          Ibuprofen and imodium can be bought from the pharmacist’s counter and yes, are limited in the number you can ask for but like - how many do you mean by ‘enough’, there’s like 24 in a pack? And, to tell the little secret - you can go to the next pharmacy over if you desperately need more than that on one go?

          Oh and even if they were prescription, you know getting a prescription is usually free or cheap right?

          I’m guessing you went to a supermarket and expected to buy “Tylenol” and misunderstood what you were told.

  • JCreazy@midwest.social
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    10 months ago

    Am American. This many pills would expire long before the bottle was even close to being empty. I maybe take ibuprofen maybe once or twice a year.

    • Taako_Tuesday@lemmy.ca
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      10 months ago

      Damn look at no-pain McGee over here. I rarely go a week without a headache necessitating a few ibuprofen

      • DacoTaco@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago
        1. ibuprofen is addictive, in my country they are a prescription only medication because of this. Paracetamol on the other hand, is available off the counter
        2. too much ibuprofen or paracetamol is bad for you. Youre poisoning yourself
        3. never, ever, take that much pain killers unless you have a known condition and the doctor agrees. You could be hiding something else by using the painkillers
        4. i feel bad for you. Is the headache that bad? I usually ignore those but i have a high pain tollerence :)