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The inventor of ibuprofen tested the drug on his own hangover
- andsoitis 4y ago"It was later renamed ibuprofen and is now one of the world’s most popular nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) under the brand names of Brufen, Advil, Motrin, Nurofen and others. It is estimated that one package of the product is sold every three seconds in the United States."
- steve_adams_86 4y agoThis reminds me of chloroform. Some scientists were hanging out “experimenting” with substances they made (presumably huffing things and getting high?) when they apparently realized chloroform could have medical applications. So, one of them used it on a patient a couple days later. They claimed they had discovered this property of chloroform independently, but it had been described as an anaesthetic a couple years earlier. Regardless, medicine in the 1800s was pretty fast and loose.
- tylergetsay 4y agoI love reading old medicine books, they include stuff like wine pairings for medications
- meepmorp 4y agoThese days, I'd use Reddit for that.
- nathancahill 4y agoSame with old bird books, some of the originals have tasting notes for each of the birds they described.
- tylermac1 4y agoI found a "Backwoods Surgery and Medicine" book from 1910 at my grandparent's house. Half of the pain-related guidance involved cocaine in some form.
- mmastrac 4y agoIf people didn't enjoy it so much, it would probably be an impressively flexible medication.
- throwaway0a5e 4y agoIf we ever legalized it it would probably replace or augment caffeine in just about everything overnight.
- epicureanideal 4y agoBut aren’t there probably long term harmful consequences of cocaine even in small doses?
- bnjms 4y agoPure cocaine? Maybe? But many people do smaller amounts for years and we don’t know about it. What I‘ve always wondered what drugs is it that burn people out in that recognizable way. And what ones are fairly recoverable.
- cultofmetatron 4y agoindiginous people have been consuming coca leaves with no bad effects for thousands of years. the dose makes the poison. by comparison, if you snorted pure caffine powder. you'd literally die
- safeimp 4y agoHave a source/pictures you can link to?
- nemo44x 4y agoMy grandfather was given a Guinness daily when he was in the hospital recovering from colon surgery in the 1960s. It was thought the iron in it was helpful.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- the_only_law 4y agoNow I'm just imaging seeing a hospital bill were they charged me $20 for a Guiness or something.
- asciii 4y agoComplimentary healthcare as it should be! Now I'm not sure if an Ibuprofen will be $70 or $500
- quesera 4y agoDepending on the bar and the city, a $20 Guinness is readily achievable today. Hospitals can do better! $270, negotiated down to $120 billed to insurance. You pay $15. Bill received in 6-9 months. Thank you for your business.
- justsomehnguy 4y ago> You pay $15 Only if you complain and ask for a detailed list.
- shepherdjerred 4y agoThis reads like my Cigna explanation of benefits
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- devin 4y agoIn VA hospitals it was not uncommon to give a patient N beers per day to match their typical consumption to avoid them going into alcohol withdrawal during their stay.
- tiborsaas 4y ago> Regardless, medicine in the 1800s was pretty fast and loose. There's a good series about the early days of modern medicine: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2937900/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2937900/
- BitwiseFool 4y agoLook up "hysteria" and how 1800's doctors thought about the womenfolk. And the prescribed treatment was pretty eyebrow raising as well.
- banannaise 4y agoNitrous oxide was a recreational drug for 40 years before someone had the bright idea to use it during surgery.
- frakkingcylons 4y agoSo I thought it was unsafe to take for hangovers due to the risk of stomach bleeding… or is it just a matter of waiting long enough after you’ve stopped drinking?
- rr888 4y agoIts amazing how many people eat Ibuprofen like candy. My friend ended up with holes in her stomach, despite the warnings she thought there was little risk (even took Ibuprofen for stomach pain).
- jmann99999 4y agoIt also increases the risk of stroke and heart attack[0]. After finding that out, I don't take it quite as liberally. [0]https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/fda-strengthens-warning-that-nsaids-increase-heart-attack-and-stroke-risk-201507138138 https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/fda-strengthens-warning-...
- Aeolun 4y agoThey really need to quantify this risk. Simply saying it 'increases the risk' is just scaremongering.
- samtho 4y agoYep, I think most would agree that traveling by car significantly increases the risk of being in a fatal car accident, yet this does not deter people on a daily basis. A lot of these “X increases the risk of Y” might be true on the whole, but there are so many variables that are not captured and can very drastically affect individual outcomes.
- worker_person 4y agoShe probably has an underlying condition that's not being addressed. Autoimmune is quite common, but could be lots of things. Diet changes are sometimes enough. Sometimes a massage gun and Bob and Brad youtube channel will fix muscle knots that are the real issues.
- mauvehaus 4y agoOne interesting non-obvious use for ibuprofen is that it'll relieve some sore throat symptoms. I discovered this when I took some for a headache while I had a cold some years back. Or maybe that was only non-obvious to me, but I sure wish somebody had told me about that 15-20 years earlier.
- copperx 4y agoYou wanted to be told what, exactly? That an anti-inflammatory reduces inflammation?
- rvnx 4y agoIsn't a bit of inflammation and fever actually healthy ? By cancelling them I would have guessed that you partially disable the immune reaction ?
- dontlaugh 4y agoRarely, if ever.
- roywiggins 4y agoThere's at least some hints that short term inflammation might be good, and not something you always want to suppress with ibuprofen etc. https://www.sciencealert.com/intriguing-study-suggests-inflammation-might-protect-against-not-cause-chronic-back-pain https://www.sciencealert.com/intriguing-study-suggests-infla...
- HPsquared 4y agoI wonder about this, and for antihistamines as well.
- smileysteve 4y agoThis is a well documented warning of antihistamines; if you have an infection you should not use them. And you should definitely not continue use after 3 days with no improvementn in symptoms. You also should avoid using steroids when you have an infection (many antihistamines are steroids) (unless you're fighting the immune response). The risks increase more with fungal infections than bacterial or viral. (So much that it was a popular trope in House MD that if it was fungal or the infection was causing sepsis then the steroids would kill the patientl https://www.healthline.com/health-news/overuse-of-steroid-medications-can-increase-risk-of-certain-infections https://www.healthline.com/health-news/overuse-of-steroid-me...
- overkill28 4y agoDoes ibuprofen actually help with alcohol induced headaches? I've found the only things that can cure a hangover are time or more alcohol.
- otikik 4y agoLots of water before going to bed (or ideally, combined with the alcohol intake, 2 glasses of water for every glass of alcoholic drink) is the best preventive measure I know. I guess drinking afterwards might also help.
- claudiawerner 4y agoI don't know how well they work (if at all) but there's quite a market for 'hangover cure' drinks in Japan[0], and I've heard of a tradition of drinking citrusy supplements or anything high in Vitamin C in Japan. It always sounded off to me, but I suppose it would help with mineral depletion. [0] https://jobsinjapan.com/working-in-japan/japans-famous-anti-hangover-drink-ukon-no-chikara/ https://jobsinjapan.com/working-in-japan/japans-famous-anti-...
- xxpor 4y agoI wonder if they work because they make it easier to consume a lot of water, just due to the taste
- samatman 4y agoI'm a believer. I don't care if it's superstition, I'll take a gram of C at the drop of a hat. I love the Japanese hangover drinks, E-Mergen-C is not quite as tasty but 30 of them take up the volume of 3 bottled C drinks, for the small kind. Works better before, but will improve disposition the morning of as well.
- bendbro 4y agoI've noticed this as well. I feel like staying awake very late, eating and drinking as I sober a little before going to sleep drunk helps too
- rejectfinite 4y agoCombined paracetamol and ibuprofen is king Ive found and they both work well together and dont seem dangerous. If you follow the dosage. Combine with Caffeine too. >It's safe to take ibuprofen with paracetamol or codeine. https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/ibuprofen-for-adults/taking-ibuprofen-with-other-medicines-and-herbal-supplements/ https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/ibuprofen-for-adults/taking-ibu...
- MisterBastahrd 4y agoFor those who don't know, paracetamol is also known as acetaminophen. Goody's is my go-to for headaches and minor aches and pains. It's sold in powder packs here in the US with some optional flavoring added and contains acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine.
- xxpor 4y agoI believe that's what Excedrin is as well (as a tablet of course)
- oynqr 4y agoParacetamol is also a leader in deadly prescription drug overdoses.
- rejectfinite 4y agoThis is because of Percocet and Tramadol that combine opiates and paracetamol. Paracetamol is easy to overdose on because the opiate is lower in those. paracetamol is perscription free.
- Galaxity 4y agoTramadol is the opiate itself, it does not have paracetamol. There are other brand pills that contain both. Paracetamol does not contain an opiate. It is a different substance from opiates. It is, however, dangerous to the liver in large amounts.
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- marban 4y agoAs European, it's mind-boggling when I see those 1,000 tab containers at Walgreens, given that I usually buy them in a pack of 12 and only take them very selectively as a last instance. You know, side-effects and stuff.
- peddling-brink 4y agoIf you’re willing to share, what side effects do you get from ibuprofen? I have none, or at least the side effects are not noticeable in comparison to the pain I’d otherwise be in.
- I_am_tiberius 4y agoThat concerns not only ibuprofen but it may cause heart or kidney issues. I think it can't hurt trying to only take it as a last resort.
- raverbashing 4y agoThe dose where those are an issue are way above the "maximum dose" noted on the OTC posology
- cjensen 4y agoDoctors routinely tell patients to use way above the maximum OTC dose when instructing them on how to treat difficult muscle problems like back problems. (Please don't do that except under specific instruction).
- ugjka 4y agoNot good for the liver, kidneys in the long term I guess (if you take it daily)
- JLCarveth 4y agoYou're thinking of paracetamol / acetaminophen. Ibuprofen has little effects on the liver / kidneys.
- ilamont 4y agoA not uncommon scenario. Here's how the first "upper endoscopy" was performed in the 1950s, after a GI fellow at the University of Michigan read a foundational paper about fiberoptic cable in Nature: Hirschowitz, like a lot of fellows and young researchers in science, first tested the device on himself in February 1957. He managed to control his own gag reflex, passed through his esophagus and looked around in his own stomach. He then scoped a patient indicated on the slide as patient #2. A most remarkable aspect of this discovery was that it was not supported by grants and was carried out by a GI fellow, and two physicists who worked very hard to create this incredible advance. The same talk also notes the Australian researcher who discovered the role of Helicobacter pylori in curing stomach ulcers tested the culture on himself: He stated that his halitosis was so bad, that his wife told him that he had to sleep on the couch. After the infection was established he treated himself with the anti-Helicobacter therapy and completely recovered. https://blogs.harvard.edu/lamont/2020/01/30/advances-gastroenterology-medical-rounds/ https://blogs.harvard.edu/lamont/2020/01/30/advances-gastroe...
- affgrff2 4y agoNot to forget about the first heart catheterization done by Werner Forstsmann on himself and awarding him the Nobel prize. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werner_Forssmann https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werner_Forssmann
- samhw 4y agoYeah, a genius heroin addict friend of mine drew a molecular structure for a new opioid[0] on the back of a napkin and sent it off to a synthetic chemist in China to be synthesised. To my infinite horror I actually tried a dose of what came back, at the same time as he took his dose, and in the recommended (high!) dosage of what I think was a decent chunk of a gramme. Luckily it worked. I can well see how someone could have the confidence to try something as mild as ibuprofen. [0] Or pseudo-opioid, I'm not sure. He's a biologist and I'm not a natural scientist at all. All I recall is that it was a positive allosteric modulator of the mu opioid receptor, which, by and large, may as well be Greek to me.
- krispyfi 4y ago
- guenthert 4y ago"Ibuprofen became an effective treatment for the disease, but it was no cure." Perfect, says the pharmacist.
- beefman 4y agoIbuprofen is a true miracle drug. The team that discovered it routinely tested candidates on themselves. This wasn't uncommon in medicinal chemistry. My dad and his colleagues did it at Merck in the '70s. In one case, he and his lab partner took a candidate appetite suppressant (serotonergic) and went out for Chinese. They ate like kings and concluded it didn't work.
- Bilal_io 4y agoThat's one way to get a free lunch paid by the company.
- etaioinshrdlu 4y agoI wonder if the decline of this style of testing is one reason the rate of progress is lower today.
- edmundsauto 4y agoPossibly, also possible this type of testing worked great when the low hanging fruit was available. When there was easier discovery of miracle molecules.
- FooHentai 4y agoIt's almost certainly a factor, in the same way that improvements in safety standards and stronger adherence to them have slowed progress and increased cost in construction (and many other fields). I don't think it's controversial to state that. Where it gets controversial is in what value judgements you place on it, because to a large extent it boils down to 'how much human life are you willing to risk for how much progress?'. Less of an issue if it's an individual choosing freely to risk their own neck, but hard to distance even that from whatever safety culture and norms surround them. Perhaps less people take these risks today because it's no longer the norm in their field.
- mtlmtlmtlmtl 4y agoOf course if it goes really bad(fatal or stroke or something), you just lost years of expensive science education just to test a drug that's not gonna work. Sure it's faster if you get it right, but the if you do the math on doing this as the standard method it would quickly be fae too costly to society. At least that's my take on why this is perhaps not the most ideal methodology in terms of opportunity cost.
- bryanrasmussen 4y agoOk well I respect it but at the same time he's no Albert Hofmann https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Hofmann#Discovery_of_LSD https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Hofmann#Discovery_of_LS... "Three days later, on 19 April 1943, Hofmann intentionally ingested 250 micrograms of LSD."
- stared 4y ago> While the drug had been tested for pain in clinical trials, no one had yet tried it on an alcohol-induced headache. The otherwise interesting article treats it as a discovery that headache is a type of pain. Sure, it should not be taken for granted which kinds of pain (both by symptoms and their etiology) can be alleviated with a given drug, but still.
- w0mbat 4y ago“He never mentioned that he was the inventor and listened patiently when the person selling it would ask if he had taken it before." Oh my god he was a saint. If I were in his shoes, the question, "Have you taken Ibuprofen before?" would instantly lead to "Well yes, I invented it.".
- AtomicOrbital 4y agoits well worth the effort to learn about the life of experimental chemist Alexander (Sasha) Shulgin who famously would design then create in his backyard lab hundreds of permutations of various molecules ... Sasha would take the creation and if it had potential would share with his wife and friends ... fascinating storyteller taboot