Not Every Pain Needs a Pill: Pharmacists Warn Against Indiscriminate Painkiller Use as Self-Medication Epidemic Grows

Pharmacists have issued a stark warning to Nigerians against the growing culture of indiscriminate painkiller use, stressing that not every ache or discomfort requires medication and that some pains may resolve with rest and other non-drug measures without the need for pharmaceutical intervention.

The caution comes amid mounting evidence of widespread self-medication across the country, with analgesics ranking among the most commonly used medicines without professional advice. Experts warn that this dangerous practice is exposing millions to avoidable health complications, including irreversible damage to vital organs.

In an exclusive interview with PUNCH Healthwise, Chioma Omattah, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Welnex Pharmacy in Lagos, explained that pain varies according to its severity, location, duration and cause. She stressed that sudden, unexplained or persistent pain could be a warning sign of an underlying health condition requiring urgent medical evaluation.

“Not every pain requires painkillers. There are different types of pain. You could have acute pains; you could have chronic pains,” Omattah stated. She explained that acute pain could occur for a short period, including after strenuous or unusual physical activity, and might improve with rest. According to her, someone who developed pain after lifting a heavy object or climbing several flights of stairs despite being unaccustomed to the activity could initially manage the discomfort with rest and other appropriate measures.

However, she advised people to pay close attention to pain that could not be linked to an obvious activity or injury, particularly shooting or radiating pain. “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 cautioned that repeatedly taking painkillers without identifying the source of pain could temporarily suppress symptoms while an underlying condition continued to develop undetected. “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,” she warned.

Omattah identified paracetamol, ibuprofen and diclofenac among commonly used painkillers, noting that their widespread availability did not make them suitable for indiscriminate use. She particularly warned against the dangerous practice of increasing the number of tablets taken simply because the recommended dose failed to provide relief.

The pharmacist explained that failure of a painkiller to provide relief could mean that the medicine was not appropriate for the condition or that another underlying cause needed to be investigated. “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 advised Nigerians not to exceed the recommended dose of any painkiller, stressing that doing so could increase the risk of adverse effects and organ damage.

The irrational use of analgesics can also affect vital organs, particularly the kidneys, liver and gastrointestinal tract. Omattah further cautioned pregnant women, children, older adults and people living with conditions such as asthma, stomach ulcers, kidney disease and heart problems to seek professional advice before taking painkillers.

“Before taking a painkiller, they must seek advice; they must consult with their pharmacist to know if that painkiller is safe for them to use, given their present medical condition,” she advised. She also urged people whose pain persisted despite treatment to seek medical evaluation rather than continuing to increase their dosage.

The pharmacists' warning reflects growing concern among health professionals about Nigeria's deepening self-medication crisis, where easy access to over-the-counter painkillers has created a culture of treating symptoms rather than addressing root causes. As the line between responsible use and dangerous abuse continues to blur, experts are calling for greater public awareness about the hidden dangers lurking in seemingly harmless tablets. The message is clear: pain is a signal, not an enemy to be silenced, and listening to what the body is saying could be the difference between a simple recovery and a life-threatening complication.