Ibuprofen, but hardly ever because near 100% of my occasional headaches are migraine so I use sumatriptan (which is prescription here). Because no painkiller works for those, but 6mg of intramuscular sumatriptan knocks them out 99% of the time.

Never Tylenol/paracetamol because it has never worked for me at all for any pain. Not headache not any other pain. Like zero effect, I just feel vaguely poisoned.

Never naproxen because I puke it up - I tried it first for a migraine and assumed I’d just vomited because migraine. But later tried it for a knee injury and nope, puked it right out again.

So for the rare not migraine headache that doesn’t just go away by itself, ibuprofen because it does work.

Ibuprofen if I’m at work, but at home I usually take a short nap and have some coffee after, which works better for me.

I prefer paracetamol since ibuprofen can create secondary effects in the gastric system.

It depends on the cause, and your own biology.

Aspirin reduces pain signals but also reduces blood clotting, If your headache is from vasculature issues in and around your brain it’s extra insurance.

Acetaminophen just reduces pain signals in the nervous system. It doesn’t have any secondary advantageous effects but it is easier on your stomach.

Ibuprofen reduces pain signals and also as an anti-inflammatory. So if your headache is caused from minor swelling in the head it’s the obvious choice.

I feel like at least in the US most people tend to overtake ibuprofen when they’d probably be better suited with Tylenol or aspirin.

I’ll go plain old paracetamol which works for me most of the time. If that fails then ibuprofen would be my next choice.

Whichever is closest.

Acetaminophen kills your liver. Ibuprofen melts the glue holding your guts together.

What matters right now is your headache.

I have never in my life heard “medicament” before. Is there a particular reason that word was used here? Is it used often across the pond or something and I just never heard it somehow? Or is it somewhat seldom used and you just decided that was the word you wanted to use?

Somewhat in order of action:

• check if I am clenching jaw/grinding my teeth, relax shoulders and neck, center my thoughts, lower blood pressure and pulse

• thoroughly flush sinuses (like spend 20 minutes or more at least)

• drink lots of water/electrolytes and caffeine

• reduce sensory input: dark quiet room with comfortable seating

• double dose of Sudafed and Diclofenac sodium

• jump into traffic

I’m in too much chronic spinal pain to register a headache. I don’t know why, but the question made me realize I haven’t had a headache in a decade since my broken neck and back. I get to a point where I can’t focus on anything. The anti inflammatory Tylenol Arthritis formula is the most effective by a considerable margin. I don’t have arthritis and am 40. I’ve been on most available pain meds over the last decade, and honestly this one beats most others for me. I used to have headaches, my issues are different but my family basically switched to the same thing too after trying it.

Motrin(Ibuprofen) because it works better for me, assuming the migraine doesn’t cause me to puke it up right after.

Aspirin has never been of value to me and I would only take it if I had a heart attack.

Aleve (naproxin sodium) is the only OTC painkiller that reliably works for me. So first I take one, and if that doesn’t work after an hour or so, I take another and a nap.

If I can’t avoid it or if I’m in a hurry, I will take Paracetamol 500mg. If there is no change within an hour, I’ll take Ibuprofen 600mg. But if I have time, I will get some rest (avoid bright light, close eyes and listen to podcasts).

Aspirin because I used to run ultras where they sometimes ban NSAIDs because it can cause acute kidney injury in those kinds of scenarios (rhabdomyolysis) but ibuprofin is the worst of the two.

And I don’t fuck around with tylenol ever because the effective dose is pretty damn close to a toxic dose and if you drink alcohol forget about it altogether.

But NSAIDs also inhibit bone remodeling so I tend to just avoid them altogether, running and all. Some cells in/on your bones (osteoblasts) rely on inflammation as a cue to shit out new bone, so reducing inflammation kinda messes with that

Used to be ibuprofen but I gained an allergy to it so now it’s acetaminophen (Tylenol)

I default to ibuprofen. Feels a little more effective to me than acetaminaphen. I’ve never taken aspirin for pain.