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Could you be at risk after taking paracetamol? – Experts explain why you should think twice before taking this painkiller

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Like all medications, complications can occur, so it is advisable to check the package leaflet

Paracetamol is one of the most widely recommended pain killers to get relief from most common pain such as dental, headache, or muscle. Moreover, it is one of the classic drugs when it comes to treating common colds and flu.

“Paracetamol is a recommended drug for use in pregnancy and will be commonly used,” says Dr Andrew Shennan, a professor of obstetrics from King’s College London.

According to Stuart Gale, a pharmacist, paracetamol blocks prostaglandins, stopping pain messages to the brain. It also lowers temperature.

At the same time, not well known that this drug has adverse reactions, which on the other hand, happens to all.

To prevent suffering from these side effects, it is advisable you know them beforehand, as there are people who may have more risk of suffering them.

For example, those with kidney, heart, or lung disease, or anemia should consult their doctor prior to taking this medicine.

Furthermore, alcoholics anonymous should be careful not to take more than 2 g / day of paracetamol.

Possible harmful side effects

Paracetamol has some side effects to be aware of. For example, in the one-gram tablet, there may be the following effects, classified as rare and very rare.

–Rare: these can reach up to 1 in 1,000 patients. Discomfort, a drop in blood pressure, and an increase in liver enzymes can occur.

–Very rare: up to 1 in 10,000 may be affected. Allergic reactions (such as skin reactions), low glucose, blood disorders, and liver and kidney disorders are some of the cases that can occur. 

Furthermore, there may also be “very rarely” cases of skin reactions.

Dangerously toxic to the liver in high doses so make sure you never exceed the maximum dose, according to Stuart.

It can take up to an hour to work and doesn’t reduce inflammation.

Pregnant women who take paracetamol

Before consuming the medicine, the ideal is to consult with your doctor. If it is necessary to use it, the lowest dose should be administered to alleviate pain and fever and use it for the shortest possible time. 

If the discomfort does not subside or the medication should be taken more frequently, it would be necessary to consult a doctor.

During lactation, amounts of paracetamol may appear in breast milk, so before taking the drug it will be necessary to consult a doctor.

Overdose

No more than four tablets should be consumed in 24 hours. In the event that more medication is taken, the doctor should be consulted immediately, even if there are no symptoms since these can occur 3 days after taking the overdose.

These symptoms of having consumed more paracetamol can be dizziness, vomiting, loss of appetite, yellowing of the skin and eyes, and abdominal pain.

Thus, patients taking barbiturates or suffering from chronic alcoholism may be susceptible to an overdose of paracetamol.

Image Credit: Getty

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