Pharmacists Raise Alarm Over Nigerians’ Abuse of Painkillers

Pharmacists have advised Nigerians against taking painkillers for every form of pain, stressing that some mild aches may improve with rest and other non-medical measures.

They explained that pain can differ in severity, location, duration and cause.

While some pain may be temporary and harmless, sudden, unexplained or persistent pain could indicate an underlying medical condition that requires professional attention.

The pharmacists also warned that frequent or inappropriate use of painkillers can cause serious health complications, particularly affecting the liver, kidneys and stomach.

Taking more than the recommended dosage can further increase the risk of drug toxicity.

Speaking with Newsmen, the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Welnex Pharmacy, Lagos, Chioma Omattah, said pain could either be acute or chronic and that not every type of pain requires medication.

“Not every pain requires painkillers. There are different types of pain. You could have acute pains; you could have chronic pains,” she said.

Omattah explained that acute pain can occur for a short period, sometimes following strenuous or unfamiliar physical activity, and may improve with adequate rest.

She said, for example, that someone who experiences pain after lifting a heavy object or climbing several flights of stairs despite being unaccustomed to such activity could initially manage the discomfort by resting and taking other appropriate measures.

However, she advised people to take unexplained pain seriously, especially when there is no obvious injury or activity that could have caused it.

“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 said.

The pharmacist warned that repeatedly taking painkillers without determining the cause of the pain could merely hide symptoms while an underlying illness continues to worsen.

She noted that irrational use of analgesics could also damage vital organs, including the kidneys and liver, and affect the gastrointestinal system.

Commonly used painkillers such as paracetamol, ibuprofen and diclofenac, she said, should not be taken indiscriminately simply because they are easily available.

Omattah particularly warned against increasing the number of tablets taken when the recommended dose fails to relieve pain.

She explained that when a painkiller does not provide relief, it could mean that the medication is unsuitable for the condition or that another underlying problem needs to be investigated.

She urged Nigerians never to exceed the recommended dosage of painkillers and to seek professional advice when symptoms persist.

The pharmacist also advised pregnant women, children, older adults and people living with asthma, stomach ulcers, kidney disease or heart conditions to consult healthcare professionals before taking pain medication.

She further urged people whose pain continues despite treatment to see a doctor instead of repeatedly increasing their dosage.

Also speaking with Journalists, Superintendent Pharmacist at Engraced Pharmacy, Idimu, Lagos State, Jonah Okotie, said the location, severity and possible cause of pain should be considered before deciding on treatment.

According to him, mild pain resulting from a minor injury may sometimes be monitored, particularly when there are no signs of serious injury.

However, sudden pain without an identifiable cause should not be ignored.

“Pain is information indicating something is happening. If it’s from a mild blow or slight accident, it may be observed, especially if there’s no scratch. But sudden pain without a trigger should not be trifled with,” Okotie said.

He cautioned against frequent use of painkillers, noting that they are medicines and should not be treated like vitamins or nutritional supplements.

He explained that excessive use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs could irritate the stomach and increase the risk of ulcers, while excessive paracetamol consumption could cause severe liver damage.

Okotie also warned against combining different brands of painkillers without professional guidance, as some products may contain medicines from the same drug class, potentially resulting in an excessive dose.

He recalled an instance where an individual received different brands of ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs from an informal medicine seller.

He said combining such medicines could place excessive strain on the kidneys, liver and stomach.

The pharmacist stressed that different medicines have different recommended dosages and intervals and advised patients not to increase their doses on their own when pain persists.

“There is an allowance for doses to be increased, but in doing that, you need the experts’ opinion,” he said.

Okotie urged pregnant women, children, older adults and people with kidney, liver or stomach problems to exercise particular caution and seek professional advice before using painkillers.

He also warned against treating persistent pain indefinitely with analgesics, stressing that the underlying cause should first be identified.

“If you are taking medication and you don’t feel relief, then please go ahead and consult your doctor for a review,” he said.

He specifically advised people experiencing unexplained chest pain, severe abdominal pain, groin pain or other sudden symptoms to seek prompt medical attention.

The warning comes amid widespread self-medication in Nigeria. A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis involving 91 studies and 37,359 Nigerians found that 67.8 per cent of participants practised self-medication, with analgesics among the medicines commonly used without professional advice.

Health authorities have repeatedly warned against the dangers of self-medication.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has cautioned that it can lead to incorrect self-diagnosis, inappropriate treatment, excessive or inadequate dosage, prolonged medication use and failure to recognise medical conditions where certain drugs are contraindicated.

NAFDAC has also warned that while paracetamol is generally safe when used according to instructions, excessive consumption can result in poisoning and serious liver damage.

The World Health Organisation has similarly recommended that treatment for chronic primary low back pain should be tailored to the individual, with non-drug approaches such as physical activity and exercise considered before medication where appropriate.

Experts therefore advise Nigerians to avoid using painkillers as a routine response to every ache.

Persistent, severe or unexplained pain should be properly evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional to determine its underlying cause and the most appropriate treatment.

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