Paracetamol has been widely used in medical practice for many years. He has established himself as an effective emergency aid for acute inflammatory diseases, accompanied by a sharp increase in temperature.
In addition to the antipyretic, the drug has analgesic and minor anti-inflammatory effects. It is taken for small and medium pains of various origins: tooth, head, menstrual, muscle.
Paracetamol is part of many, including children's, medicines.
However, the uncontrolled intake of paracetamol and the drugs in which it is included can result in serious consequences for human health and even life.
Around the world, there are quite a lot of cases of poisoning with drugs that include paracetamol. Contraindications, the list of which is small, most likely do not affect the number of poisonings. The danger is more associated with prolonged use, large doses and widespread use of the drug. Uncontrolled intake of paracetamol can be fatal.
The drug is effective and even indispensable for acute respiratory viral infections and influenza. But in order to confidently take paracetamol, contraindications, side effects and dosage should be carefully studied.
The drug is safe if taken only in extreme cases, with a short course and in the strict dosage recommended by the doctor.
In what cases can you not take paracetamol? Contraindications: individual intolerance, blood diseases, serious disorders in the functioning of the kidneys and liver, some genetic diseases, chronic alcoholism. In these cases, even a normal dose of the drug can cause irreversible changes in the body.
Can paracetamol be taken during pregnancy and breastfeeding? Contraindications in this case should be determined by a doctor. Official medicine allows you to take the drug during pregnancy. It is known that paracetamol crosses the placenta, but it has not been established whether it has a negative effect on the fetus. Therefore, the decision on the advisability of prescribing this drug during pregnancy depends only on the doctor.
Patients with slight abnormalities in the liver, elevated bilirubin in the blood without impaired liver function, and the elderly should be taken with caution.
The use of paracetamol courses longer than five days requires mandatory monitoring of the liver and blood.
Paracetamol poisoning is possible with prolonged use or in case of exceeding the dose. When decomposed, the drug has a negative effect on the liver. With an overdose or prolonged treatment with paracetamol, the liver is exposed to toxic effects, which leads to the death of its cells. The severity of the lesion depends on the dosage and duration of the course.
If there are the most minor deviations in the liver, then taking the drug can be harmful to health even in prescribed doses.
For people who abuse alcohol, paracetamol is contraindicated. Even single cases of taking the drug at the same time as a drink can cause serious disturbances in the liver.
The risk of severe injuries with paracetamol intoxication with hereditary liver diseases , taking certain drugs, chronic alcoholism, starvation, chronic and acute hepatitis of both viral and non-viral origin is especially high.
Frequent use of paracetamol leads to irreversible changes in the kidneys - cell destruction and severe renal failure. Especially often, such changes occur in older people.
The drug negatively affects the blood, and, specifically, prevents the formation of blood cells, especially white blood cells. Reducing the number of leukocytes makes a person defenseless against infectious diseases. A decrease in platelet count can lead to bleeding.
Paracetamol causes such side effects from the gastrointestinal tract: heartburn, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, pain and bloating. Allergic reactions in the form of urticaria, rash, skin itching, Quincke's edema are possible.
The dose of the drug, at which irreversible changes in the kidneys and liver begin, is 5 grams, the toxic dose is 10 grams, the lethal dose of paracetamol is 25 grams. The lethal and toxic dose for people suffering from liver pathologies or chronic alcoholism is significantly lower.