Yeah but maybe the military wasn't able to absorb the insurance costs involved in transplanting a family with a known ongoing medical requirement like this. Insurance companies the world over will hike premiums at the merest whiff of incurable conditions which might result in hospitalisation.
The problem with painkillers is that very strong ones do indeed induce drowsiness, and Advil's one of the better ones (it being Ibuprofen, which is as good as Acetylsalicylic acid with much less damage to your stomach). Advil PM is, obviously by dint of its name, a night-time drug, and actually contains Diphenhydramine citrate, which is a sleep aid, so will only compound your problem there.
Advil PM also only contains 200mg of Ibuprofen. You'd probably be better off taking two regular 200mg Advil (to total 400mg Ibuprofen) than taking an Advil PM if you wish to stay alert. Just remember that you shouldn't total more than 1,200mg of Ibuprofen in a 24-hour period.
Because of the chemical composition of certain painkillers and the organs they pose risks to, you can actually mix them with others if required, but only
specific others. For example, you can take your daily limit of Ibuprofen
and your daily limit of Paracetamol (branded as Tylenol in the US) within the same 24-hour period with no ill effects - so long as, as with all pain medication, you do not continue for a prolonged period. 48 hours is the maximum I would go before seeking medical assistance, and I have ongoing pain-management issues.
For someone to whom pain is a new thing, I wouldn't suggest waiting that long!
Tylenol Regular Strength limit is 12 per 24-hour period, and Extra Strength is 8 per 24-hour period.
You cannot however mix Ibuprofen and Aspirin, because they are made from the same basic chemical, and attack the same organ.
Codeine is a third option which can be mixed with either, but you'd have to be in serious agony to consider taking all three at once. I believe that Codeine is not an over-the-counter medication in the US, though, so you may require a prescription for it and, as it's an opiate, it's likely to be even less effective than Ibuprofen and Paracetamol due to your tolerance.
Alas the Japanese don't have access to chemicals which don't exist elsewhere in the world, so their pain relief medication will ultimately consist of the same three groups - opiates, acids and acetamides. Even dosages are pretty consistent across continents - Ibuprofen, for example, usually comes in 200mg and 400mg in over-the-counter form.
Why, yes. Yes I do know far too much about painkillers
