Dangers of Self-Medication for Pain

Many people will use analgesics (painkillers) in order to self-medicate for pain and this is considered normal. If you can use a paracetamol in order to help yourself cope with a headache or back ache then this is a good idea and will have relatively few consequences if any.

At the same time though it is still important to use caution and this means making sure to speak to your doctor about your use of medication and not to overdo it. Paracetamol like anything needs to be taken in moderation and can cause death if you overdose too radically.
Likewise over use can also cause problems – lowering your pain threshold for instance, or in the case of ibuprofen causing damage to the stomach lining and liver.
Another reason not to use painkillers too readily is that completely eradicating pain is a bad idea in itself – pain has evolved for a reason and serves and important purpose in the body. If you have a back ache for instance and you medicate to the point of not noticing it, then you will be less careful and less aware of which movements can cause injury – and this may of course result in your setting back your recovery.

Meanwhile the use of something like aspirin for bleeding or with low blood pressure would be a problem as aspiring works by thinning the blood – this would then lower blood pressure further and prevent the formation of scabs. Likewise other medications for pain can again have interactions with other medication.
So yes, self-medicate with paracetamol and other painkillers if you are experiencing acute pain, but do so with moderation and speak to your doctor first. And for all the same reasons listed above, don't try to medicate for pain with drugs or alcohol as it will cause other damage to your body and result in other negative consequences