Paracetamol Facts-That You Should Know.

 Paracetamol/Acetaminophen.

Acetaminophen belong to a class of drug called Analgesic (pain reliever) and Antipyretics (fever reducer).It is  used to treat different medical conditions such as headache, muscle aches, arthritis, backache, toothaches, colds,menstrual periods and fevers.The FDA approved acetaminophen in 1951.

 commonly prescribed for the treatment of the following diseases

• Cold
• Fever
• Flu
• Backache
• Joint pain
• Toothache
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Arthritis
• Ear pain
• Cephalalgia
• Periods/menstrual pain
• Febrility

Contraindications

It is contraindicated in the patients with the following medical conditions

• Liver Disease
• Kidney Disease
• Chronic alcoholism
• Allergy to any of the components present in the formulation.

Side effects

Common and moderate side effects include

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Allergic reactions
• Fever
• Gastric Ulcer
• Mouth ulcer

While rare and less common side effects include

• Fatigue
• Stevens-Johnson Syndrome
• Liver Damage (On high doses)
• Anemia
• Shortness of Breath.

Interactions:

Major interactions occur with the following drugs

• Leflunomide
• Sodium nitrite
• Prilocaine

While Moderate interactions Occur with

• Phenytoin
• Carbamazepine.

Safe Use

Follow these tips and use paracetamol safely.

• Follow the directions on the label – always.
• Never exceed the recommended dose.
• Be aware that you may be taking more than one medication that contains paracetamol – calculate the total amount of paracetamol you’re taking.
• Don’t take paracetamol for more than a few days in a row unless directed by your doctor.
• For children – make sure the product you use is appropriate for your child’s age and weight. Doses for children are much lower than doses for adults.
• Don’t give children paracetamol for periods longer than 48 hours unless advised by your doctor.

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