Took paracetamol too early?

[TookTooEarly]

I’m an idiot 🤦‍♀️

I’ve got some sort of cold/flu thing (sneezing, sore throat, dry coughing, cold sweats, regular sweating etc) and I’ve been taking paracetamol for temperature control.

I was feeling a bit cold so just took some paracetamol, but I forgot I only had my last ones at 15:15.

So I’ve had 2 x 500mg at 15:15 and 17:51.

Only 2 and a half hours instead of 4.

Will I be okay? I’m quite petite and so don’t weight much (about 6st 10) so I’m
worried that’ll make a difference.

But I have two toddlers and a newborn to look after and it’s bedtime so don’t want to be pissing about with hospitals if not necessary.

As a one off will it be okay?

Just to explain - there's a website called Toxbase which all services like 111 can access. They can then calculate a dose per kg and compare to toxicity.

So e.g. you should really be taking 650mg max as a dose (once every 4-6 hours, up to 4x a day) because your weight is so low, per this.

https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/paracetamol/

(See IV section for under 50kg).

I can't access Toxbase but 111 should be able to.

Have you had any other paracetamol today as well as these two?

And by today I mean the last 24 hours so between 5pm the day before yesterday and your 9am dose.

You'll be absolutely fine.

Also, I'm under 50kg and I take a normal dose. Always have done.

Thank you everyone ❤️

I don’t remember when I last took them before this morning. I didn’t take any during the night but I’m pretty sure I probably took some at some point yesterday evening.

I was panicking too much so rang 111, just waiting for a clinician to call me back now.

The funny thing is I did write down when I last took it. DH was just having so and I was cold so asked him to get me some too, completely forgetting I had already taken some not that long ago!

Just brain fog with the whole house being sick I guess 😞

Okay just spoke to a clinician. Based on me not taking a dose after 8pm last night (I don’t think I did, but I’m not 100% sure), and just the three today, I’m not toxic.

Apparently I’m close to it (72/75?) so obviously I’m not going to take anymore, but my paranoid brain is now worried I took some I forgot about after 8pm last night 😩

At what point can I stop worrying?!

Can you work out how likely it is you took some after 8pm? Are there loads of tablets missing from the packet, more than you thought?

You can stop worrying now. You’ve had professional advice and it was reassuring, and it also fits with the common sense advice you’ve had from randoms on here.

You’re poorly, try to stop ruminating about it and look after yourself. Have a drink and a bath and go to bed. These thing happen, they wouldn’t sell them in Tesco if a minor timing error could kill you. You’re ok

I'm sure you'll be fine. They err on the side of caution and you've had medical advice.

In future only take 500g at a time and then you're way within safety margins. Or if doesn't touch the sides, alternate with ibuprofen.

Hope you feel better tomorrow

I can’t help with the dosage you’ve taken, but my GP always recommended taking 2 paracetamol initially and then taking one tablet every 4 hours to keep topped up throughout the 24 hrs. And that way you will only take 7 tablets in 24 hrs rather than 8 which is the max anyway. If you take 2 each time you would have to spread them at 6 hr intervals and then you won’t be topped up.
Hope that makes sense. It’s what I’ve done for years and it seems to work.

Thank you everyone ❤️ I’ve calmed down a bit now.

@ghostbusters Unfortunately not as we have lots of half used packets in random places throughout the house since I had my C-section, so no way of knowing which packet I may have used!

@Astromelia It was only worrying me so much because I’m <50kg, otherwise I would have just shrugged it off.

@Clymene Thank you!

@Twospaniels That’s a good idea, I’ll have to remember that thanks 😊