Headaches and body pains can make it very difficult to go through our daily activities. With pain being a major hindrance for proper functionality, many of us often grab the first remedy we can find to help ease the feeling and soothe our bodies. However aside from massage, rest, and cold compresses, there are other solutions we can leverage to achieve fast relief.
Anti inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDS, are common medications that we can easily purchase to dampen pain and support functionality. But because there are so many different types of NSAIDS, it’s important that you ask – which one is the best over the counter anti inflammatory medicine for me? Find out which one you should really invest in by following this comprehensive guide.
Top 10 Over the Counter Anti Inflammatory Drugs Chart
A Buyer’s Guide to OTC Anti Inflammatory Medication
The sheer number of different choices can make it overwhelming to choose the best over the counter anti inflammatory for your needs. However because it is your health and your body on the line, you shouldn’t take the risk of choosing a product based on random selection.
Make sure to buy the best anti over the counter anti inflammatory medicine by making sure to keep these pointers in mind when you make your choice.
- Active Ingredient. The active ingredient in your chosen medicine is what’s mainly responsible for reducing inflammation and pain. There are many different types of active ingredients found in NSAIDS, but they each address different types of pain.
Depending on the type of pain you feel, you should choose one of these common NSAID ingredients:
- Ibuprofen. This active ingredient has properties that relieve both inflammation and fever, which makes it a great option if you’re trying to address pain caused by colds. It’s also commonly used for headaches and migraines.
- Naproxen Sodium. This is the most common NSAID used for physical pain caused by movement and injury. Naproxen sodium is also prescribed to people with arthritis as a maintenance medication.
- Aspirin. Having been around for many years, aspirin is popularly used for muscle and joint pain. It also proves to be beneficial in reducing the chances of heart attack and stroke in predisposed people.
- Dosage. When it comes to OTC anti inflammatory medicine, dosage ultimately depends on how you feel. If you still sense pain and deem that another dosage is necessary, you can take another once the first’s effects have waned.
Keep in mind however that your body can only take a certain amount of NSAIDs in a single day. Surpassing this limit could put your body at risk of toxicity and adverse side effects.
With that, it might be ideal to choose an option that promises to provide relief for 12 to 24 hours so you won’t have to keep taking extra doses throughout the day.
- Delivery Mechanism. Some people don’t think that it’s important whether a medicine comes in the form of a solid or a liquid, however it can greatly affect the benefits of your chosen product.
Solid medicine for instance, such as tablets, capsules, and pills, take a bit longer to provide relief because the body first needs to metabolize the substance before it can absorb the active ingredient.
Despite this, these medicines can provide much longer lasting results because they stay in the system longer.
Syrups and other liquid anti inflammatory drugs can provide results much sooner, however because they’re easier to metabolize, the body can also flush them out much faster. So it’s common that these options can wane off much sooner.
Top 3 Best Over the Counter Anti Inflammatory Reviews
1. Kirkland Low Dose Aspirin
Among all the different options available, Kirkland Low Dose Aspirin 81 mg stands out as the best anti inflammatory in the market. These effective enteric coated tablets work fast, providing instant relief against different types of pain and discomfort.
The Kirkland brand tablets are incredibly affordable, available in a bottle of 365 pieces – ideal for those who use them as a maintenance medication for heart disease. These tablets come in a low dose at just 81 mg per piece, making it easier to take just the right amount without having to go through the hassle of cutting them up before a dosage.
2. Bayer Aspirin Regimen, Low Dose
Another top pick considered by many consumers as the best OTC anti inflammatory is Bayer Aspirin Regimen Low Dose Enteric Coated Tablets. This product is another effective and fast acting pharmaceutical solution for a number of purposes such as pain and heart disease maintenance.
Much like the previous product, the Bayer Aspirin Regimen Low Dose Enteric Coated Tablets come in low dose 81 mg tablets that make it easy to adjust dosages. They’re also coated in a special substance that prevents them from causing any sort of stomach upset, ideal for users who find themselves taking aspirin on an empty stomach.
At double the cost of the first choice, this product only includes 300 tablets. That puts each piece at twice the price of the Kirkland brand aspirin. Regardless, they can be a good choice for someone who wants to try other options.
3. Kirkland Signature USP Ibuprofen
Kirkland Signature USP Ibuprofen Tablets are yet another reliable and affordable anti inflammatory drug from the store brand, offering fast pain relief and fever reduction capabilities that stump many other options available on the market.
These 200 mg tablets contain ibuprofen, which is particularly ideal for headaches and body pain. They’re simple, fast, and effective, but that’s not entirely why they became so popular in the market.
Kirkland has placed the price for these tablets at a very low cost, offering 1,000 of these highly effective tablets at just a miniscule fraction of the price of other products. That’s why they’ve commonly been dubbed the best over the counter anti inflammatory for people working on a budget.