Is it really a problem to take more than 8 paracetamol in 24 hours?

[CreatingHavoc]

I need to take paracetamol as I can't take ibuprofen due to stomach problems. I've had my 8 in 24 hrs and technically can't have any until 5.30pm. Will it matter greatly if I have some now, a few hours early?

It's over 3 hours away so no, you can't take any more. If you don't mind sharing where the pain is/what is causing it posters might be able to suggest alternatives.

Don’t mess about with paracetamol (or dosage for any medications for that matter).

Speak to your pharmacist and see what/if there is anything else they can offer you. What kind of pain are you dealing with?

I'm having antibiotics (nitrofurantoin) for a uti and have a fever and some back pain.

No, you can’t take anymore. Paracetamol needs to be processed through the liver and can damage the liver. It 2x500mg tablets 4 times a day max.

Don’t mess about with it paracetamol doses. It can mess up your liver. There are no symptoms until it’s too late.

Even relatively small 'overdoses' of paracetamol can cause damage. I'm sorry, I know it's rubbish but it's not worth the risk.

Have you tried heat for relief of the back pain?

how long have you been on the antibiotics? You may need to get that reviewed if it’s been a while - I want to say 48hrs but don’t know for sure. I’d expect to see some improvement after 48hrs of antibiotics if they were going to work.

No, don't take more than you should - too much can cause serious kidney and/or liver problems which aren't immediately apparent.

I'm sorry - I hope you feel better soon.

@CreatingHavoc try a hot water bottle fir the back pain. You will have to wait to take paracetamol for the fever. Try a tepid wet clothe to your forehead to help cool you gently.
Maybe check with pharmacy about alternative pain relief.
Hope you feel better soon.

The fever is a good thing for the infection so don't worry about that unless it's sky high. Use a hot water bottle on your lower back. I take regular paracetamol and dihydrocodeine for chronic back and abdo pain and the hot water bottle works best in conjunction with those. I can't take ibuprofen either but ibuprofen gel causes me no issues and works well.hope you feel better soon.

I've had to take so much paracetamol these last couple of months but never gone over the daily dose. I'm worried about how much Ive been taking it as I've been ill so much. I won't take any more until 5.30.

I'm only 2 doses in to slow release nitrofurantoin so not 48 hrs yet. Normally I get relief pretty quickly though so I'm not sure what's going on. My temp is quite high (38.6)

It probably wouldn't do any harm if there are 4 hours between doses, giving the liver time to process the drug, but the safety recommendations are there for a reason so it's not advisable to take more. By the time your GP calls back (they can vary the dose) it'll be due again anyway. In future maybe try to take a smaller dose so that you don't have a huge gap in the middle, but the doses work out 8 in 24 hours? You could do co codomol (over the counter) (8/500) and do the same as the pain relief may be increased with the addition of codeine.

Thanks everyone, I'll ask the pharmacist for alternatives. One Dr suggested ibuprofen with lansoprazole but I'm not sure about it. I'm under investigation for continuous yellow/loose stools (sorry tmi) and also have a hiatus hernia and reflux so I'm concerned re ibuprofen.

nurse here - might be worth getting another review as the uti may have progressed to a kidney infection - back pain and high temperatures are classic signs. You need different antibiotics for this. If you’ve been on nitrofurantoin for 24 hours with no improvement it’s worth another check as it’s usually fairly quick acting

@Louloulou123 I think this might be what's happening but the Dr I saw this morning wasn't sure. Said to finish the nitrofurantoin and await culture results. I might have to get a second opinion.