Did I take too many paracetamol?

[saltnpepa]

I never take painkillers so am a bit worried I've cocked up. I took one paracetamol at 1.00am, another one at 3am. I took one at 6.00am and another one at 7.00am. I know you're meant to take 2 but I hate any sort of drugs but now I'm wondering if I've taken too many? I'm a full grown adult (if you can believe it!).

I have suffered with headaches and severe migraines, daily for years. I have always been advised NOT to take anything containing Codeine, including Co-codamol, as it actually makes neuropathic pain much worse. Stick to Paracetamol and Ibuprofen in the short term and keep your fluid intake right up.

Since drinking more water, a theory one of my headache consultants wanted to try a few years ago, I find that they are less frequent and less intense. (Well, generally speaking.)

Adult paracetamol is just a different dose to children's - the frequency you can take it is actually the same. So if you are familiar with that, then you should be able to work out your own. Please don't be worrying op about the paracetamol. Have you went to a doctor about the headaches? Are they migraines?

You can alternate paracetamol and ibuprofen as long as you don't exceed the maximum dosage for either.

You can take ibuprofen as well. It's perfectly safe to take at the same time as it's from a different painkiller group. Although much more effective if you don't and alternate it.

Don't call a medic FFS!

It's fine. Safe dosage of paracetamol is 2 tablets (2 x 500mg, so 1g) at four hour intervals, but not more than 4 times in a 24 hour period (so a maximum of 4g in 24 hours).

Paracetamol is very dangerous to the liver so the safety margin on that dosage is huge.

So yes you could take 2 tablets at 11:00 and then another 2 at 15:00, but then none until 01:00.

If you're still in pain then you'd do better spacing out the intervals of the paracetamol and taking ibruprofen as well (after thoroughly reading the dosage instructions ).

splodgeses yes I have heard that before re codeine but my headaches are tension headaches and so it does help as relaxes me. Paracetamol and Ibuprofen don't help at all. Guess it is all trial and error.