Do you wake up with a headache or a fever?

You have probably taken the painkiller you had at home, paracetamol or ibuprofen, more often

If you are over 16, the British National Public Health Service (NHS) advises that it is perfectly safe to take paracetamol and ibuprofen at the same time.

You can decide to take both tablets at once or at intervals.

For example, divide your doses in four hours into two hours.

However, the Health Service advises you to think carefully about whether you need these two medicines and to seek the advice of your family doctor if you apply this action for more than three days, Telegrafi reports.

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What is the difference between ibuprofen and paracetamol?

The main difference between these two drugs is that ibuprofen works against inflammation, while paracetamol does not.

Both medicines can be taken every four hours and used to relieve pain and fever.

Ibuprofen is more effective in reducing inflammation and redness caused by arthritis and in reducing swelling caused by sprains.

The other major difference is that ibuprofen should never be taken on an empty stomach because it can irritate the lining of the stomach and cause dryness or bleeding.

Ibuprofen is most effective when taken with food or immediately after eating.

When should they not be taken together?

For starters, children should not take ibuprofen and paracetamol together.

Instead, the NHS advises that if one of these medicines does not help you, switch to another painkiller when the next dose comes.

Pregnant women should also avoid ibuprofen and paracetamol.

Ibuprofen is also not recommended for the elderly, people who have asthma, kidney or liver problems, lupus, Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, high blood pressure and narrowing of the arteries, who have had a stroke, problems with the heart, stomach bleeding.

/Telegraph/