Paracetamol is an ingredient in many over-the-counter medications. Dosage of paracetamol is indicated in pain in muscles, joints, bones, neuralgia, menstrual pains, in diseases with high temperature, after dental and surgical procedures. Is paracetamol safe during pregnancy? How is paracetamol different for children from that for adults? Check what paracetamol works, how to dose it and what side effects may occur.

Paracetamol - drug characteristics

Paracetamol- popularpain reliever , available worldwide since 1955. He made a career in Poland in the 1990s, when it replaced the commonly used pyramidone - an antipyretic drug. In appropriate doses, paracetamol can be used both in children and adults. It is available in the form of tablets, suppositories and syrups.

Paracetamol - action

Paracetamol has an analgesic and antipyretic effect. Unlike conventional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), it has a weak anti-inflammatory effect.

The antipyretic effect of paracetamol is due to the inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis in the central nervous system, which, by affecting the thermoregulation center in the hypothalamus, increases body temperature. The analgesic effect of paracetamol is also a result of the central effect, as well as reducing the sensitivity of pain receptors by this drug, which increases the so-called pain threshold at which we feel pain.

The benefits of paracetamol

Paracetamol is well absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, and you can feel the relief 30-60 minutes after taking it. Its analgesic effect lasts 4-6 hours, antipyretic - 6-8 hours.Paracetamol does not interfere with blood clotting.

Medicines containing this substance are safe for the stomach because they do not damage the mucosa. It is metabolized in the liver and excreted in the urine. The drug works by blockingprostaglandin synthesis in the central nervous system.

Paracetamol - indications

Indications for the use of paracetamol are:

  • muscle and joint pain
  • bone pain
  • toothache
  • headaches
  • neuralgia
  • painful periods
  • fever
  • after dental and surgical procedures
  • after vaccination.

It is also recommended for patients with peptic ulcer disease, aspirin-induced asthma, blood coagulation disorders or allergy to acetylsalicylic acid or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Is paracetamol safe?

Paracetamol in therapeutic dosesis considered a safe drug . However, be careful, as many combined pain and flu medications contain paracetamol, so it's easy to overdose!

In higher doses, paracetamol is toxic to the liver . In he althy people, paracetamol can become toxic even in a daily dose exceeding 10 g.

The analgesic effect of paracetamol lasts after one dose for 4-6 hours, and the antipyretic effect - 6-8 hours.

Paracetamol - dosage

For short-term use, 1-2 coated tablets (500-1000 mg of paracetamol) are used, if necessary 3-4 times a day (a maximum of 8 coated tablets per day, i.e. 4 g of paracetamol per day). Observe an interval of at least 4 hours between successive doses. For long-term use, do not exceed - 2.5 g per day (in adults).

The daily dose of the drug must therefore be adapted to the duration of the treatment. Remember that there are many preparations containing paracetamol, and be careful not to unknowingly duplicate the dose when taking flu medications, which often also contain paracetamol. Paracetamol should not be combined with other analgesics (e.g. ibuprofen, acetylsalicylic acid).

How to use paracetamol? Paracetamol and alcohol

Without consulting your doctor, do not use the drug if the pain lasts longer than 5 days and the fever lasts longer than 3 days.

It is recommended to take the drug on an empty stomach, as it allows for faster analgesic and antipyretic effects. Alcohol should not be consumed while using paracetamol due to the increased risk of liver damage. There is a particular risk of liver damage in people who are malnourished, drink alcohol regularly, and in patients with alcoholic liver disease without cirrhosis.

GOOD TO KNOW:Safe dosage of paracetamol in children

Paracetamol - contraindications

Medicines with paracetamol should not be administered:

  • for children under 3 months of age
  • people with renal or hepatic insufficiency
  • G-6-PD deficiency, Methaemoglobin reductase deficiency

The drug should be avoided by people who overuse alcohol and starve themselves, because their liver is damaged more quickly.

Paracetamol - possible drug interactions

Use caution when using paracetamol as it reacts with other drugs:

  • enhances the effects of oral antidiabetic drugs and some anticoagulants
  • must not be combined with NSAIDs as it increases the risk of kidney damage
  • in combination with MAO inhibitors (drugs used to treat depression) may cause agitation and fever
  • taken with rifampicin (a semi-synthetic antibiotic with a bactericidal effect), antiepileptic drugs or barbiturates (drugs for insomnia) may damage the liver

Paracetamol during pregnancy, paracetamol for children

Paracetamol crosses the placental barrier and into breast milk.Its use should be avoided (especially in the first trimester of pregnancy), but it seems safe in therapeutic doses if necessary in short-term treatment during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Paracetamol is a drug suitable for children over 3 months of age. A safe dose of paracetamol for a child is 10-15 g per 1 kg of body weight (once) - detailed information on the dosage method and the maximum daily dose of the drug (in the case of paracetamol it should not exceed 60-75 mg / kg body weight). in the preparation leaflet.

Paracetamol for children can be used without consulting a doctor for a maximum of 3 days in the case of fever or 5 days in the case of pain relief.

Paracetamol - side effects

Occurring rarely:

  • hypersensitivity reactions, urticaria, erythema, rash
  • nausea, vomiting, digestive disorders

Very rare:

  • thrombocytopenia (decreased platelet count)
  • agranulocytosis (granulocyte count decreased)
  • bronchospasm in patients with hypersensitivity to acetylsalicylic acid and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
  • acute liver injury most often from overdose
  • pigmented purpura
  • angioedema (swelling of the face, lips, tongue, throat, difficulty breathing), anaphylactic shock (dizziness, impaired consciousness, increased heart rate, drop in blood pressureblood
  • severe skin reactions.

Paracetamol - overdose symptoms

Paracetamol overdosecan be very serious and can even lead to death. Paracetamol itself is a very safe drug when the permissible dose is not exceeded: for adults the safe daily dose of paracetamol is 4 g. In chronic therapy, the daily dose of 2.5 g of paracetamol should not be exceeded.

The most common paracetamol overdose is accidental. There are many complex preparations on the market, both painkillers and anti-colds, the composition of which includes paracetamol along with other substances.

The problem is that their names are in no way associated with it and a person who wants to quickly improve their well-being may unknowingly exceed the daily allowance of paracetamol in a short time.

Symptoms of overdose may appear several to several hours after taking the drug.

Symptoms of paracetamol overdose:

  • diarrhea
  • anorexic
  • nausea, vomiting
  • stomach pains
  • excessive sweating
  • sleepiness
  • general weakness

Although these symptoms often disappear, liver damage develops in the second day. Symptoms of liver damage:

  • pain in the right hypochondrium
  • feeling of bulging in the upper abdomen
  • nausea
  • jaundice
  • hemorrhagic diathesis

Liver failure develops leading to coma, multi-organ dysfunction and death on the third day after paracetamol overdose.

If not more than 1 hour has elapsed from taking the excessive dose of paracetamol, induce vomiting. When taken orally at a dose of>5 g for adults or>150 mg / kg. in children, it is imperative to contact a doctor as soon as possible. Also in any other case of suspected paracetamol overdose, contact your doctor immediately. Paracetamol poisoning requires hospitalization as soon as possible and the use of a specific antidote (N-acetylcysteine).

Paracetamol and the effect on the psyche

Paracetamol can not only provide pain relief, but also reduce our ability to feel emotions, argue researchers from the University of Ohio .¹ The study involved 82 students who were divided into 2 groups. The first was given 100 milligram paracetamol tablets and the second was placebo-like. An hour later - when the drug began to work - the researchers asked the subjects to watch itseries of 40 photos. The photos show things that easily evoke emotional reactions - kids playing with animals or desperate toddlers.

After viewing, the students were to give the photos points - five plus points were given to the most positive photos, and five minus the most negative. Immediately after that, the students looked at the photos again and gave them a second note. 0 wrote with those that did not evoke their emotions at all, 10 with those that touched them extremely. It turned out that people who took acetaminophen responded less emotionally to the pictures. The positive photos did not seem as joyful to them as the people who took the placebo, and the shocking photos made them less sad. However, the differences were not spectacular. Students who received a placebo rated the nicest and worst photos at 6.76 on average. People who took paracetamol gave them an average of 5.85.

Source:

Paracetamol may dull emotions as well as physical pain, new study shows, https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/apr/14/paracetamol-may-dull-emotions-as-well-as -physical-pain-new-study-shows

The article uses materials from Anna Jarosz from the monthly "Zdrowie".

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