To not realise just how dangerous paracetamol is?

[HarshingMyMellow]

My friend is currently in hospital after taking an accidental overdose of paracetamol.

I say 'accidental', she was taking more than she should because she had a killer toothache but not huge amounts.
I think she took around 8 doses in a day instead of 4 and the repercussions aren't pretty.

I didn't realise a basic, widely available drug was so toxic.

OftenHangry, what other painkillers are you referring to? Genuine question.

SayHello, there is a world wide push to reduce opiate prescribing for chronic pain (huge number of deaths from prescribed painkillers - from memory more from that than heroin recently in the States) and increasing evidence that non-pharmacological interventions are more effective and safer in chronic pain.

Acute pain is whole different ball game (and in many ways much easier to manage).

Doubling up paracetamol is dangerous however I’ve had the liquid stuff in hospital and it was amazing, I couldn’t have been more grateful for it.
Ibuprofen is also hugely risky. I can’t take it due to the amount of damage it did to my kidneys...

I should add, paracetamol taken in advised doses has never done me any harm. Ibuprofen taken in advised doses has been very bad for me. I can’t take codeine at all because it makes me feel ill, even in low doses

I am sorry for your friend and hope she nakes a full recovery but I can't believe there are so many people who didn't know about paracetamol overdose. It has clear instructions and warnings on the packet and I rememeber learning about it at first aid courses and even at school.

I remember being told at a baby first aid course that the most dangerous thing in most households for a curious toddler is not bleach or dishwasher tablets or weedkiller (dangerous as they are) it is paracetamol (including calpol.) If a small child gets hold of paracteamol and swallows some and you don't know this could easily be fatal and as pp have said it's a horrible way to die. It terrifies me to have it in the house.

I've overdosed before. I have long term effects. I could have died had I taken more and had I not got medical attention. There's also a point where medical intervention doesn't change things and it's not a pretty way to die.

But taken as directed... it's like anything got risks, but small risks and provides benefits

The most dangerous (aside from overdose) I personally think is it's ability to mask symptoms that should be paid attention to...

My friend die of a Paracetamol overdose,it took her 2 weeks of agony to die,i rarely take it, as i know it badly affects the liver

Everyone who was at my school in the mid 80s is aware of the risk, but only because a girl at school played the role in Casualty of a teenager who took a paracetamol overdose then had a horrible slow painful death. Ever since then I've been really careful about the doses.

To say "paracetamol is really not for pain" is bollocks and I stand by that, OftenHangry.

I agree Tarragon.
A few hours ago, I had a headache, which meant I was in pain. I took 2 paracetamol and the pain went away. In my mind, that means it takes away the pain.
Now, I know someone who recently broke their collar bone. Not something I've done myself, but I understand it to be pretty horrible. He was given 2 paracetamol at the time, and then some Ibubrofen an hour or so later in hospital, and the pain just wasn't touched until the hospital eventually offered morphine.
I also watch quite a few of those emergency air ambulance type programmes where they give ketamine (sp?) at the side of the road.

I think we all realise there are different levels of 'pain'.
The danger of paracetamol though, is that you do have it lying around your house, unlike morphine and ketamine.

Having had morphine a couple of times I can only dream of having some spare stuff lying around my house

Hope your friend is ok.

I am allergic to paracetamol. The amount of times medics say really? Are you sure? Totally - reacted too many times to prove it thanks! But it scares me how many things it is in (feels like everything and every cold/flu remedy). I try really hard to only take ibuprofen when I really really need to. Even scarier in winter when folk around me are taking all sorts of meds without realising the build up and sharing the lemsip...

Perdyboo

They may be asking if you're sure because "allergies" to non-opioid medications is a common report among drug seekers. They claim to be allergic to paracetamol and NSAIDs just so the provider will give them controlled medications.

I'm not saying you're a drug seeker. (If you only take ibuprofen when you really need it I can already see that your behaviour suggests you're not a drug seeker.) I do believe you are genuinely allergic. But it's the few bad apples who make it difficult for those with real allergies.

Paracetamol is an excellent painkiller, even for serious pain, when used appropriately. The reduction of fever is a helpful side-effect.

I'm sorry for your friend OP but I'm staggered that adults who are capable of posting on an internet forum are incapable of reading the information on the packet. The advice hasn't changed in years (I'm in my fifties). It's always been clear that a dose of 2 tablets, 4 times a day, at intervals of at least four hours, for three days is the max dose (without medical advice).

I can't take NSAIDs so I rely almost entirely on paracetamol for pain relief. I have chronic pain which I mostly just have to deal with, but when things are bad, or I have a bad headache, paracetamol is a wonder drug. If I have toothache/extraction I add codeine. IMO codeine is a horrible drug but is is effective.

I'd be so pissed off if I had to get all my pain relief prescribed, at cost to the NHS, because people are too lazy to read the very clear instructions. Adults have a responsibility for themselves, and that clearly involves following well-known and long standing guidelines for OTC drug use.

I've had real pain, as a result of life threatening illness, and at no stage did I ever consider altering the dose. I'm staggered that people would bust the guidelines for toothache! What planet do people live on?

Neither aspirin not paracetamol would have been approved, even in the late 29th century.

Even 30 years ago, many countries routinely added methionine to paracetamol tankers, as it helped with metabolism and reduced toxicity. Sadly, other countries never got on board.

20th

Can I ask what other painkillers you’re all talking about? Feeling really thick. ibuprofen? Anything else over the counter?

DS has chronic tonsIlits, waiting to get them out, and I did say to the dr I was worried just how many days he spent getting calpol all day and all night. I really don’t reach for it straight away, fever and unable to swallow. He said it was fine, think of all the children who are really ill and on it for years. Should I lean to calprofen instead? It doesn’t work as well I feel but I don’t want to risk overdose.

I'm a police sergeant and have seen so many suicide attempts been made by taking paracetamol and its horrendous

It's a very safe medication as long as you stick to the prescribed dose, phlewf

Iirc, paracetamol has 2 metabolic pathways. The primary pathway is very limited in capacity and it's the secondary pathway that metionine aids.

One of my df's colleagues took an overdose whilst drunk, woke up, didn't tell anyone (they were in the military) and ended up dying whilst being flown back to the UK for treatment. I've never liked taking them since.

Which is why my dh has hidden the 32 x 500 mg paracetamol tablets (and other stuff) I was discharged from hospital with on Friday as having babies tends to do funny things to my desire to live.

(he would obviously hand out as needed if I needed for pain relief)

Actually Coffee the instructions for children have been reduced significantly for pharmacy based paracetemol prescriptions, minor ailments etc, in Scotland. Not sure about RUk

Phorwf you can alternate paracetamol and ibuprofen though the latter isn't benign, as. A non steroidal antiinflammatory it can cause stomach damage.

I'm a pharmacist and have just read the full thread. The amount of mis-information on here is staggering at best and very deeply concerning at worst. Please, if you have any genuine questions or concerns about medication, go and speak to a pharmacist, GP or other appropriately qualified health professional.

Its also important to be well hydrated when taking paracetomol and ibuprofen. If you are dehydrated when you take them you can cause damage to the liver and/or kidneys by not having enough liquid to flush them through. Its especially a risk for young dc with sore throats who don't want to swallow anything. Toxicity can happen even below the recommeded dose if you are not drinking enough

AssignedPuuurfectAtBirth It was clear my post was about adults. Indeed this entire thread has been about adults. The dose for adults has not changed.

When I was a child we were given baby aspirin, which has now been withdrawn, so I don't have a guideline to judge against.

With my kids, I always check the dose before administering. I am aware from when they were younger that other European countries and UK hospitals administer by weight (with a consideration for age) whereas our OTC 'calpol' is by age only. My children are small for age so I've always dosed down. Because I read the instructions.