Pharmacists have warned Nigerians against taking painkillers for every ache or discomfort, stressing that some forms of pain may resolve with rest and other non-drug measures.
The pharmacists said pain varies in severity, location, duration and cause, noting that sudden, unexplained or persistent pain could indicate an underlying health condition requiring medical attention.
They also cautioned that frequent or irrational use of analgesics could expose users to complications affecting the liver, kidneys and stomach, while exceeding recommended doses could increase the risk of toxicity.
Speaking with Punch Healthwise, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Welnex Pharmacy, Lagos, Chioma Omattah, said not all pain required medication.
“Not every pain requires painkillers. There are different types of pain. You could have acute pains; you could have chronic pains,” she said.
Omattah explained that acute pain could occur after strenuous or unusual physical activity and might improve with adequate rest and other appropriate measures.
She, however, advised Nigerians to pay attention to pain that could not be traced to an obvious injury or activity, particularly shooting or radiating pain, as such symptoms could point to an underlying illness.
“When the pain is something that you can’t trace how it started, those ones are the ones you might begin to be concerned about, and maybe the sign of an underlying illness,” she stated.
The pharmacist warned that repeatedly taking painkillers without identifying the cause of pain could temporarily mask symptoms while an underlying condition worsens.
“Frequent use can actually be very risky and inimical to the individual using it. When you don’t relieve the cause of the pain and the next thing is to pop a painkiller, you may be masking the symptom of a very serious underlying health condition,” Omattah said.
She identified paracetamol, ibuprofen and diclofenac among commonly used painkillers and stressed that their availability did not make them suitable for indiscriminate use.
Omattah particularly warned against increasing the number of tablets taken when the recommended dose failed to provide relief.
She said failure of a painkiller to work could indicate that the medicine was unsuitable for the condition or that further investigation was needed.
“If I take two pills of paracetamol, it doesn’t work for me; my body, I have to take three, I have to take four. They are gradually damaging their liver,” she stated.
She urged Nigerians never to exceed the recommended dose of any painkiller and advised pregnant women, children, older adults and people with conditions such as asthma, stomach ulcers, kidney disease and heart problems to seek professional advice before taking analgesics.
“When you’re taking some painkillers, and you’re not getting better, it’s best to see a physician for further evaluation,” she added.
A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis of 91 studies involving 37,359 Nigerians found that 67.8 per cent of participants practised self-medication. The review identified antibiotics as the most commonly self-medicated medicines, followed by analgesics and antimalarials.
The study cited perceived minor illness, previous treatment experience, financial constraints, lack of time and easy access to medicines among the factors driving self-medication.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has also warned against self-medication, saying it could result in incorrect self-diagnosis, inappropriate treatment, excessive or inadequate dosage, prolonged drug use and failure to recognise contraindications.
NAFDAC has specifically cautioned that while paracetamol is generally safe when taken as directed, excessive consumption can cause poisoning and severe liver damage.
The World Health Organisation has similarly advised that treatment for chronic primary low back pain should be tailored to the nature of the condition, with non-drug interventions such as physical activity and exercise recommended rather than relying primarily on painkillers.
Also speaking with PUNCH Healthwise, Superintendent Pharmacist at Engraced Pharmacy, Idimu, Lagos State, Pharm. Jonah Okotie, said the location, severity and possible trigger of pain should be considered before deciding on treatment.
He noted that mild pain caused by a minor injury could sometimes be observed where there was no indication of serious injury, but sudden pain without an identifiable cause required greater attention.
“Pain is information indicating something is happening. If it’s from a mild blow or slight accident, it may be observed, especially if there’s no scratch. But sudden pain without a trigger should not be trifled with,” Okotie stated.
He warned that frequent use of painkillers exposes the body to unnecessary medication and potential side effects.
“Painkillers are not multivitamins or supplements you can take every day; they are medications used only when needed,” he said.
Okotie explained that excessive use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs could irritate the stomach lining and increase the risk of gastric ulcers, while excessive paracetamol use could damage the liver.
He also cautioned Nigerians against combining different brands of painkillers without professional guidance, noting that some products could contain medicines belonging to the same class.
According to him, taking multiple such medicines could place unnecessary strain on the kidneys, liver and stomach.
The pharmacist stressed that people should not independently increase their doses when pain persists.
“There is an allowance for doses to be increased, but in doing that, you need the experts’ opinion,” he stated.
He urged pregnant women, children and older adults, as well as people with kidney, liver or stomach conditions, to seek professional advice before using painkillers.
Okotie further advised Nigerians experiencing persistent or unexplained pain to consult a doctor rather than continuing to rely on analgesics.
He particularly urged people experiencing unexplained chest pain, severe abdominal pain, groin pain or other sudden symptoms to seek prompt medical assessment.
“If you are taking medication and you don’t feel relief, then please go ahead and consult your doctor for a review,” he stated.
The pharmacists stressed that pain should be treated as a possible signal from the body rather than a symptom to be repeatedly suppressed with medication. Proper medical assessment, they said, is essential where pain is persistent, severe or unexplained.
