Took paracetomal 20 mins before 4 hours were up - should I be worried?

[paracetomalworry]

Accidentally did the same thing on Saturday morning, took the dose 10 mins early.

Am experiencing acute pain with an infection post op, hence needing parcstomal very regularly, normally I’m writing down the doses.

Is taking two doses slightly early likely to be a problem? The Saturday dose I was reviewed in OOH due to pain levels and they said as it was still within less than 4g in 24 hours I’d be fine … this time it’s slightly over (ie I’ll have had the 4g 20 mins too early).

I have diagnosed OCD and tend to latch onto things, I usually keep a record of when I’ve taken paracetomal down to the exact minute 🫤, just didn’t check this morning and thought I’d be fine and now I’m worrying about liver failure.

No

No sweetheart you’ll be totally fine xx

No, it would be an issue if you took 2 packets of paracetamol within 4 hours but 2 capsules 20 mins early twice is not an issue

No.

No you'll be fine z

X not z!

No this is your OCD making you worry and seek reassurance. Set a timer on your phone for every 4 hours and don't take it a)before then and b) if you don't need it.

It will be fine.

If the pain is so bad that your are needing to take paracetamol early, ask your doctor if you can take ibuprofen too.
It is often possible to take ibuprofen in between the paracetamol dose to boost pain relief, but obviously you need to check that is appropriate for you with regard to the cause of pain, any other meds etc.

No, you'll be fine.

As a one off, no, but don't take paracetamol long term unless your GP has told you it is safe to do so

It's your OCD, you're fine. Dp takes them 3 at a time, always has and is fine

Not a problem, but please do remember that you shouldn't take more than 8 tablets in 24 hours, so if you're taking them 4 hours apart, please ensure you're not taking too many over a 24 hour period.

You'll be absolutely fine.

If you took them an hour early every time, that might be a concern due to the buildup.

Taking one dose 20 mins early is so totally fine that it wouldn't occur to most people to worry about it - it's definitely your OCD talking here.

This. Better to alternate with ibuprofen, so that you still have constant pain relief but don’t take too many paracetamol.

Or, if you can’t take ibuprofen, switch to taking the paracetamol every six hours, so that you can’t take too many in 24 hours.

Don't worry about it. Minutes are a human invention. The medication can't tell the time. The numbers given for dosage are a good guide for timing, but it's not a timebomb that will go off if it's taken a bit too early or a bit too late.