Paracetamol/acetaminophen is not an NSAID, though. NSAID is effectively a shorthand for COX inhibitor; the term NSAID was coined at a time when the mechanism w

Paracetamol/acetaminophen is not an NSAID, though. NSAID is effectively a shorthand for COX inhibitor; the term NSAID was coined at a time when the mechanism wasn't fully understood, and all other anti-inflammatories were steroids. Paracetamol does target COX-2, but does so in a way that doesn't really have any effect on inflammation. Its main mechanism of action is as an AM404 inhibitor.