Finding Pain Relief Over the Counter

May 9, 2005 -- -- Finding simple relief for that throbbing headache or aching back has never been so difficult. Would you call the headache a migraine? Would it best be addressed by a "gelcap," or is it more of a tablet sort of pain? And don't they say that liquids work faster than pills?

Drug stores, supermarkets and mass merchandisers like Target and Kmart sold more than $2 billion worth of over-the-counter pain medicine in the past year, according to the consumer goods tracker Information Resources Inc. The myriad of choices in the drug store aisle is enough to make that headache worse. It's a maze of fancy labels, diverse pill forms and claims of body-part specific relief.

But in reality, the choices are much fewer then they appear. Medical experts say there is little variance between the actual pain-relieving medicine in over-the-counter drug brands and scant evidence to document that one relieves pain more effectively than the others. In fact, most pain products are very similar medications packaged and mass-marketed to appeal to different consumer needs.

So how should consumers choose? The truth is, it might not matter. Just like selecting based on your favorite label, experts say, it's all about personal preference.

"There are only so many over-the-counter analgesics allowed for use by the FDA [Food and Drug Administration], so it's going to be mostly the same drugs," said Dr. Joel Saper, director of the Michigan Head Pain and Neurological Institute. "There is truly evidence that some people respond to some drugs but not to others."

Aspirin, the original universal pain reliever, was discovered late in the late 1800s as an extract of willow bark. It was found to be an effective pain reliever and fever reducer and was first sold by Bayer in 1899. By the early 20th century, aspirin was being mass-marketed over the counter, and it is still a popular drug today.