Panadol Osteo
If you’re an American, one thing you should know about Australia (and in-fact most countries except Japan) is that we have a different name for acetaminophen. Instead, we call it paracetamol, and one common brand that it’s sold under in Australia is named Panadol. Panadol sells a myriad of variations of paracetamol, and one of them is called Panadol Osteo. Panadol Osteo is different from regular panadol by virtue of having more paracetamol per capsule than a standard dose - 665mg instead of 500mg to be precise. This medication is given to people who have pretty bad pain, but who’s pain isn’t bad enough to start something a bit more yeeha Grandma - like hydrocodone or codeine. I fall in this category of pain pals.
So, here I am at 3:17am, waiting for my ibuprofen and paracetamol/acetaminophen to kick in so that I can try and get some sleep. During my teaching placement in the past couple of months I was in such a good sleep routine. Bed and asleep by 11pm at the latest, up and moving by 6:30am, and I felt great. I have been able to sustain that schedule up until yesterday. Last night I couldn’t sleep until quite late, and I ended up sleeping in and feeling absolutely atrocious about it all day. I fear tomorrow will bring more of the same.
And it’s these sorts of things that seem to make having chronic illness just so frustrating for me. The persistent and often debilitating pain is annoying, but it’s manageable. Dealing with constantly unpredictable sleep patterns? Totally overwhelming. It’s amazing the difference quality sleep makes for a person and their ability to cope, and to be able to do the thing.
I just feel grateful that I do get periods of reprieve, and that sometimes things align beautifully and I get a small reminder of what a reasonably normal life looks like. It can be far too easy to fall into despair at times. The small reassurance that this condition seems always in motion, and that sometimes that motion is less painful than it might otherwise be, is something I have to cling to.
I’m also grateful that I live in a country that hasn’t made baseless claims against one of the most affordable, and arguably the most important, over-the-counter pain medications on the market today. One which I use regularly to help me with this pain, especially at 3:17am when I need it most.