Expert: Dr Ian Jackson - please note UK based - 9/12/2006

Question
Hi

I live in Belgium and the painkillers I buy most of the time are acetylsalicylic acid and ibuprofen.
I was wondering if you could answer these two questions for me.

1 Which one of both has the strongest anti-inflammatory action?
2 I know ibuprofen stops the pain twice as much, but If I would have to fight a common cold or flu which painkiller would fight the disease best?

Good day


Floris

Answer
Hi Floris
Both drugs are anti-inflammatory by an action on what is known as the cyclooxygenase enzyme system. I suspect that on a dosage basis that aspirin has the strongest anti-inlammatory action. However as you have noted ibuprofen has a stronger pain killing action. A large amount of this effect may well occur centrally in the brain so the strongest anti-inlammatory drugs are not always the best pain-killers.
Now as to the common cold or the flu - both drugs will merely have an effect on the symptoms you are feeling. Neither actually fight the disiease as such - they merely relieve the symptoms while your body fights the disease.
Ibuprofen again would have the better profile to help the muscular aches and pains as well as tending to reduce the high temperatures caused by these illnesses.
Best advice is to use the one you find most effective!
Hope this helps.
Dr Ian Jackson