Urgent- Accidental paracetemol overdose

[laurzj82]

Posting here for traffic. Please go easy on me as I already feel stupid enough. Am on co-codamol 500/30 for back pain. Also have a bad cold and have had a lemsip drink forgetting about the paracetemol in it. I am such an idiot.

Should I phone 111? I don't want to waste their time. That's not enough to do any damage is it?

Thanks in advance

So the answer is it depends....?

Basically yes. It is really complicated and every drug is different. Even weight is only a rough guide in most cases - if you weigh 100 kg, you won't necessarily be able to metabolise twice the dose of someone who weighs 50 kg. And there are lots of other factors too - for example, with alcohol, the amount of enzyme the body has available to break it down tends to be a lot less in Asian people (esp from the Far East). So a 50 kg French woman can typically metabolise a lot more alcohol than a 50 kg Malaysian woman.

Please, if you genuinely suspect a paracetamol overdose take it VERY seriously, treat every second as precious (ie get seen by a doctor at the very earliest point you can) and ignore whether you have any symptoms or not.

Glad you've rung. For future, ringing the pharmacy would have been a good option for advice too, our local pharmacist is amazing and so knowledgeable. This is in no way a criticism for ringing 111, just pointing it out as people always seem to forget about pharmacists!

Glad you followed most people's advice and called 111.

I know of someone who accidentally overdosed and sadly died, they were fit and athletic adult.

I wouldn't believe anyone who says they are a doctor on the internet. They may be telling the truth but surely it's better to talk you a health professional in real life.

"The dose of paracetemol is 1 gm every 4-6 hrs, max 4 gm in 24 hrs ....doesnt matter how big or small you are as an adult."

Hmm....that's interesting. Largely, I'd agree, but we do dose restrict adults under 50kg or with known liver failure, or poor kidney clearance in ITU because of cumulative toxicity concerns.

I've done it accidentally (bad toothache waking me up every 4 hours in the night and 4 hourly painkillers in the day) I threw up and fainted, I was fine after.

Glad you're okay op. I too take cocodamol. I used cream containing paracetamol at the same time without thinking. I ended up light headed and found it difficult to focus. Symptoms lasted about half an hour. Won't make that mistake again. Doctor said not to use both but pharmacist that I rang told me it was OK and must just have been one of those things

For future, ringing the pharmacy would have been a good option for advice too

Good point Rainy, I'd totally forgotten about pharmacists. When I've asked them about drug interactions, for example, I've found them so knowledgeable and helpful.