Determining the differences in efficacy between Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen
by Joshua Axman, University of Florida
Abstract: A study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of acetaminophen versus ibuprofen. Without the influence of pharmaceutical companies, this study is less biased in its results when compared to standard clinical trial practices. To conduct the study, participants completed treatment evaluations on the over-the-counter medications. The evaluations gave a numerical value for overall effectiveness on a 0 to 10 scale, with 0 being completely ineffective and 10 being completely effective. Forty-one evaluations were collected from acetaminophen users and forty-seven evaluations were collected from ibuprofen users. Using a 95% confidence interval and a two-tailed T-test, it was determined that there is no significant difference in general pain relief effectiveness between acetaminophen and ibuprofen (Z-score of .056). But, a study that distinguishes between different types of pains could give different and more significant results. Using each drug for different types of pain could be an effective way to test how well each works for particular pains.
Full Article: There are two major types of over-the-counter pain medications: those containing ibuprofen and those containing acetaminophen. Ibuprofen medications include the brands Advil, Motrin, and Nuprin; acetaminophen medications include Tylenol, Anacin, and Excedrin. Ibuprofen is categorized as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It works by inhibiting the enzyme that creates prostaglandins, hormones that cause inflammation and the sensation of pain1. On the other hand, acetaminophen is categorized as an analgesic and antipyretic; these are pain relievers and fever reducers, respectively. Acetaminophen acts on the part of the brain that regulates temperature, telling this area of the brain to reduce temperature when it reaches a certain threshold.
Although ibuprofen and acetaminophen are common pain medications used by most of the world’s population, there is some controversy surrounding the validity of their public safety information. In clinical trials of these and other types of medications, pharmaceutical companies have been known to have a strong input, even leaving out pertinent safety information from drug labels. In order to bypass this prejudice, I created an independent study to analyze the effectiveness of over the counter-pain medications.
To test the effectiveness of these pain medications, I invited survey participants to take treatment evaluations provided by www.RateADrug.com. The evaluations asked participants a plethora of questions regarding their experiences with medications and analyzed the effectiveness of the medications in treating their indicated condition. I surveyed individuals of all ages who used pain medications as needed. From the evaluations, I received an overall numerical value (1-10) for drug effectiveness and satisfaction, with a score of 10 being completely effective and 0 being completely ineffective. The frequencies of each effectiveness score for each medication can be seen in Figure 1. Forty-one evaluations were collected from acetaminophen users and forty-seven evaluations were collected from ibuprofen users. Fig. 1 shows a higher overall effectiveness for ibuprofen, with frequency peaks farther to the right on the chart than those of acetaminophen.
Figure. Effectiveness scores and their frequencies
In order to further analyze the data, I compared ibuprofen and acetaminophen efficacy with a statistical two-tailed T-test with a .05 level of significance. A T-test compares two sets of data, assessing whether the two groups are statistically different from one another and accounting for differences in mean as well as the variability within each group. I used the individual effectiveness scores as data. If the result was less than .05, then I would reject the null hypothesis that ibuprofen and acetaminophen are equally effective; if the result was higher than .05, I would accept the null hypothesis that the two medications are equally effective.
The result of the T-test was .056. From this result, I was unable to reject the null hypothesis that ibuprofen and acetaminophen are equally effective pain medications. Even though the mean effectiveness of pain relief for ibuprofen was found to be a bit higher than acetaminophen (7.15 and 6.32, respectively), there was not enough statistical evidence to conclude that one drug is more effective than the other.
Due to the difference in treatment mechanisms of the two types of remedies, I believe that ibuprofen and acetaminophen may independently be more effective at treating specific types of pain. Since acetaminophen is effective in reducing fevers, it may be more successful in relieving headaches and pains that result in elevated body temperatures. On the other hand, ibuprofen affects pain receptors and reduces general pain. Therefore, it may be more effective at relieving muscle aches and other body pains that are not direct resultants of high body temperature. In order to further test which type of pain reliever is more effective, I propose an experiment to test the effect of ibuprofen and acetaminophen on specific types of pains. Each population would be labeled and defined by the type of pain they have.
From my research, I conclude that both acetaminophen and ibuprofen are effective pain relievers. Most people have taken both of these medications at some point in their lives, and in my studies with www.RateADrug.com treatment evaluations, the users reported few negative side effects from the drugs. I believe that more research on the efficacy on specific types of pains is necessary to further understand which medication is more effective.
Affiliates click here