Paracetamol is a painkiller, often used to treat mild to moderate pain, such as headaches, toothaches or to reduce fever.
Paracetamol is the most consumed painkiller worldwide. And there are good reasons for this: It is widely accessible, and can be prescribed by healthcare professionals, or can be bought over the counter in all pharmacies and most supermarkets. It is also safe to use for most people, including pregnant or breastfeeding women and children. Although some patients are taking Paracetamol over many years, they often only take it when they need pain-relief, and thus it is not a continuous treatment.
However, there are some issues with the widespread use of Paracetamol. Indeed, patients suffering from chronic pain have only reported a moderate to slight effectiveness to reduce their pain. Furthermore, on rare occasions, people can present with allergic reactions to Paracetamol. This can be problematic as there are many products on the market which contain Paracetamol.
Another issue with Paracetamol use is the risk of overdose. It is usually taken every 4 to 6 hours, and never more than 4 times over one day. It can be difficult to keep track of when we have already taken Paracetamol, especially if the pain is severe. However, if this dosage is exceeded it can cause kidney and liver damage.
And so, Medsmart® can be useful, even when taking a medicine intermittently like Paracetamol. When you indicate on your Medsmart® app that allergic to Paracetamol, medicines containing Paracetamol will flag up an alert. Another handy feature in Medsmart® is that you can set up reminder, as well as indicating when you last took your Paracetamol, thus reducing the risk of an overdose.
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Written by Julie Regamey.
References
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/paracetamol/
- https://healthunlocked.com/paracetamol
- https://www.patientslikeme.com/treatments/show/57-acetaminophen-paracetamol-side-effects-and-efficacy?brand=false
- http://www.medicines.ie/ingredient/59/Paracetamol/
- https://www.nhs.uk/news/medication/is-long-term-paracetamol-use-not-as-safe-as-we-thought/
- http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bcpt.12527/full
Disclaimer
This is curated content taken from what people are saying on the web, popular conversations about medicines. We aim to provide a wide range of information for our users and readers to give a brief overview of this medicine’s main use, side effects and possible issues. We have not detailed one specific or individual health condition. We are in no way intending to replace medical advice or prescription, and we strongly suggest individuals seek advice from their doctors, pharmacists or other healthcare professionals. This article is not a substitute for medical advice. Talking Medicines, the company behind Medsmart®, has taken every effort to ensure the information written in this article is accurate but cannot guarantee that all is medically correct. Medsmart® only provides general information about post prescription medication. Medsmart® does not provide medical advice in relation to any individual case or patient, nor does Medsmart® provide medical or diagnostic services. The information provided through Medsmart® does not replace advice obtained from a qualified healthcare professional. Medsmart® users should always consult a healthcare professional before acting on any of the information you read.