London-based Dr Christine Ford said her warning was inspired by the rising numbers coming to her for help.
In the past three months she has seen three patients with addictions to Nurofen Plus. They all started using it as a painkiller but became addicted to the codeine.
She said: "I think addiction to over-the-counter medicines has been going on for a long time but many doctors do not pick up on it, partly because their patients do not mention it.
"It is a bit like having an alcohol problem -you tend to keep that a secret. You are not going to tell someone that you are taking 13 Nurofen Plus a night."
In 1999, comedian Mel Smith was rushed to hospital with a burst stomach ulcer after becoming addicted to Nurofen Plus. He had taken more than 50 pills in one go.
Yesterday the largest organisation helping over-the-counter addicts, Overcount, said the numbers it was helping had almost doubled in three years to 15,000.
Project director Davie Grieve said: "The worst affected classes in order are married housewives, single mums and then people in professional jobs, because their type of lifestyle causes them stress.
"We've got doctors, nurses and teachers on our books.
"We're not talking about the typical addict on the street corner wearing jeans and with his baseball cap on backwards. It's ordinary people."
The problem is getting worse, he said, because many of the drugs used to require a prescription but are now freely available.
Mr Grieve said that while male addicts tend to be using cough medicines containing codeine, women are falling victim to pills. He added: "It's a combination of government rules on prescribing and more marketing by the manufacturers, particularly towards women.
"There are lots of adverts for painkillers in women's magazines and during daytime programmes
because the companies see women as their target market."
In 2005, the rules on drugs containing codeine were strengthened.
Pack sizes were limited to 32 pills, and manufacturers were obliged to place warnings on them stating the dangers of addiction, advising that if they are using the drug for more than three days at a time they should see a doctor.
But the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency decided not to introduce prescriptions for drugs containing codeine, saying the reports of misuse were "exceedingly small".
Helen Darracott, of the Proprietary Association of Great Britain, which represents manufacturers of over-the- counter medicines, said the drugs should not lead to addiction if instructions are followed.
GlaxoSmithKline, which makes Solpadeine, said it took any reports of misuse of the medicine seriously.
The company said in a statement: "Hundreds of thousands of people benefit from safe and effective use of Solpadeine every year."
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