Our company motto has long been, “Too Many People Take Too Many Drugs“.

But, you should also know that I strongly favor using drugs – for limited periods – when they are necessary and help in the healing process. One category of drugs that I appreciate most are the pain and fever relievers. We can use these preparations for short periods of time so we can be comfortable while our body heals from what’s causing the pain and/or fever.

There are several non-prescription drugs available that can ease inflammation, reduce a fever, and even directly relieve the pain of a headache. Not every product can handle all of the possible symptoms – UNLESS you know how to mix-and-match – or know a compounding pharmacist who can help make a preparation for you.

For years we’ve compounded a capsule that delivers ibuprofen (Motrin), vitamin B2, and sodium bicarbonate. We make it with or without caffeine. It has been very successful in treating mild to severe headaches, mostly migraines. The ibuprofen is mostly an anti-inflammatory (one of the NSAIDs, Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory). With a doctor’s prescription we can even add stronger pain relievers.

Recently, we got the idea for replacing some of the ibuprofen with acetaminophen (Tylenol). We hoped it would deliver relief for more complicated symptoms – and we were correct. Our first trial was with a person suffering mouth pain associated with a mild viral infection, which is sometimes referred to a burning mouth syndrome. Instead of mouthwashes or narcotics, the person used one to two capsules of this mixture and reported almost complete relief for over 6 hours.

Each capsule delivers; 100 mg of acetaminophen, 100 mg of ibuprofen, 100 mg of riboflavin (vitamin B2), and 72 mg of sodium bicarbonate. Yes, acetaminophen and ibuprofen can be harmful to the kidneys and liver, but the risks are small when the doses are small and the frequency of use is limited to a couple of capsules two times per day for up to 10 days.

This combination can be approximated by anyone who buys the ingredients and takes several items – one Tylenol, one Motrin, 100mg of riboflavin, and a little sodium bicarbonate. A compounding pharmacist can make these and avoid all the inconvenience of opening several bottles. These aren’t expensive and might be good to keep on hand.

Ask your doctor what she thinks of such a combination. I’d wager she’d agree with us that it’s a solid idea. If your local pharmacist can’t help you, contact us. Maybe we can help.