What is OKi? What is she for?

So let’s analyze, one by one, these drugs, to fully understand what they are for and how they should be taken. Let’s start with Oki, whose functioning is obviously made possible by its active ingredient, namely ketoprofen, or more precisely ketoprofen lysine salt.

Oki is mainly used to treat symptoms which usually occur in the following cases:

• treat pain-related symptoms of various origins and nature such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatism, atrosis;
• treat dental inflammation (toothache, gingivitis, etc.), otorhinolaryngological (pharyngitis, sinusitis, etc.), urological and pneumological.

Furthermore, Oki is also approved in the pediatric population to reduce symptoms associated with pain associated with fever, to relieve pain in the osteoarticular system and in the treatment of otitis.

More precisely, it is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, a category of drugs also commonly known by the acronym NSAIDs. This medicine can be purchased in different formats (suppositories, drops, injectable vials) but Oki in sachets is certainly the best known.

Over the years, this medicine has gradually replaced Aulin which, until 2007 was widely used (even when there was no real need) but today we will not deal with the reasons why Aulin has faced this sort of crisis .

In practice, the Oki is used when:

• We want to decrease the body temperature in case of fever (even if the most used drug is Tachipirina );
• We want to lessen the pain;
• We want to decrease an inflammation.

Finally, recently, a new formulation of Oki has been conceived , which allows you to take advantage of its beneficial effects even when you are out and about and, for example, you do not have the possibility to dissolve the medicine in water.

This is OkiTask and you can take it anywhere and anytime. Furthermore, OkiTask, unlike other formulations, such as Oki in sachets, does not require a medical prescription to be purchased.

What is Brufen? What is it for?

Brufen , like Oki, also falls into the category of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (or NSAIDs) but its active ingredient is ibuprofen which gives it the following properties:

• Antipyretic action;
• Analgesic action (or pain reliever);
• Anti-inflammatory action.

Thanks to ibuprofen,  Brufen is recommended for the treatment of symptoms of rheumatological diseases, but also in the case of particularly painful situations such as those mentioned below:

• in the case of dysmenorrhea (i.e. menstrual pain);
• in the presence of trauma;
• following surgery;
• headache.

Although, as happens with most medicines, ibuprofen can lead to side effects, however it is considered one of the safest NSAIDs and, precisely for this reason, the active ingredient is used in many other medicines.

Like all other types of NSAIDs,  Brufen also acts by inhibiting the production of molecules derived from arachidonic acid (ie prostaglandins) which intervene precisely in the reactions for which the drug has proven effective, such as pain and swelling.

In summary, Brufen , therefore, is not only useful for the treatment of painful symptoms, for fever and other inflammatory states, but also for other conditions, in a certain sense more serious, such as rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis.

On the market we find different dosages: 400 mg, 600 mg and 800 mg .

What is Aulin? What is he for?

The last drug we will tell you about today is Aulin which, like all the previous medicines, is indicated for the short-term symptomatic treatment of pain caused by more or less severe inflammatory states.

Aulin operation is made possible by its active ingredient: nimesulide.  Just like Oki and Brufen, it is also a Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory, or NSAID.

Also in the case of  Aulin we are dealing with a drug with a pain-relieving action that allows us to:

• Decrease acute pain;
• Decrease the inflammatory state;
• Reduce pain associated with dysmenorrhea.

Aulin is certainly one of the most historic medicines for us Italians, to such an extent that we have started using it to solve even the smallest problems concerning our health, even those in which there was no need to take medicines.

At some point in its history, however, the number of patients who went to the hospital suffering from the side effects of the drug increased exponentially and, from that point on, its sale decreased significantly giving way to equivalent drugs in effects.

Today, in fact, Aulin is a medicine subjected to greater control by the Ministry and for this reason it cannot be purchased without a medical prescription.

How do we know if we need to take Oki, or Brufen or Aulin?

As you have surely guessed, Oki, Brufen and Aulin are much more similar than it seems and, for this reason, we often ask ourselves the question of whether we should hire one or the other.

Regardless of the fact that, to resolve any doubts that have to do with our health and the drugs we have to take, it is advisable to always ask your doctor or pharmacist for an opinion : usually, the choice between one of these medication depends from person to person.

There are people who experience allergic reactions to one of the active ingredients we talked about in our article and, therefore, will prefer the drug that does not contain that substance.

Furthermore, it must be taken into account that each of these drugs has very specific contraindications , in addition to the fact that they could lead to more or less serious side effects.

For example, in the case of Oki, it is not recommended to take it in the following cases:

• In the case of heart patients;
• In the presence of pain and possible tooth disease;
• If there are kidney problems;
• In the case of alcoholic patients or smokers;
• When taking other medications such as cortisone, some types of antidepressants, aspirin, blood thinners, and other anti-inflammatories;
• In the case of asthmatic patients;
• If you suffer from chronic inflammatory bowel disease.

As far as Brufen is concerned, we find the following contraindications:

• In the case of severe renal or hepatic insufficiency;
• It cannot be taken during the third month of pregnancy;
• If the patient suffers from pathologies in which there is an increased tendency to bleed;
• heart failure;
• If gastrointestinal bleeding is present in the patient’s medical history.

Finally, Aulin is not recommended for patients with the following conditions:

• Gastric ulcer;
• severe heart failure;
• A renal failure;
• A liver failure.

Therefore, to choose which of these is the most suitable drug for your situation, we advise you to always carefully read all the contraindications given on the package leaflet, obviously after having also consulted your family doctor .

Questions answers

In this section I have decided to report the most frequently asked questions on the subject.

Can you take Aulin® for toothache?

Yes, it is a drug often prescribed by dentists and very effective for this type of pain.

Is Aulin® good for headaches?

Yes, it can be used for this kind of pain.

What is the difference between Oki® and OkiTask®?

There is no difference regarding the active ingredient which is, in both cases, ketoprofen. Change the dosage, we have respectively 80 mg of Oki® against 40 mg of OkiTask® and change the method of administration because OkiTask® is taken by dissolving it directly in the mouth.

What is the difference between ibuprofen and ketoprofen?

The differences between these two principles is very minimal as both drugs belong to the category of NSAIDs. They have a different chemical structure but are basically used for the same purposes.