"Paracetamol" is a medicine that belongs to the group of antipyretics. The drug has a pronounced analgesic, as well as antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effect. "Paracetamol" is part of many painkillers that are used to eliminate signs of SARS.
The drug is produced in several dosage forms. For example, a pill in tablets for oral use is packaged in blisters of ten, twelve pieces. To understand whether Paracetamol is harmful to health or not, it is important to know how this medicine acts on the body.
The anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and analgesic properties of the drug are provided by the action of the active component on the thermoregulation center in the brain. Many anti-inflammatory drugs have a pronounced negative effect on the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines.
What are the positive properties of the drug
Is it harmful to drink Paracetamol? The drug adversely affects the body in case of an overdose. Subject to the instructions, the medication has an antipyretic, as well as analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect on the body. With the penetration of the drug into the stomach, the active substance is absorbed into the blood. The drug is rapidly and completely absorbed into the gastrointestinal tract. The elimination half-life varies from one to four hours.
Indications
Tablets are prescribed to people in the following conditions:
- Arthralgia (the periodic occurrence of pain in the joints, in the absence of characteristic signs and symptoms of their defeat).
- Algodismenorea (pain during menstruation due to infantilism, improper position of the uterus, inflammatory processes in the genitals, with endometriosis and other diseases, as well as with increased excitability of the central nervous system).
- ARVI (a group of clinically and morphologically similar acute inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system, the causative agents of which are pneumotropic viruses. ARVI is the most common group of diseases in the world that combines respiratory syncytial infection, rhinovirus and adenovirus infections and other catarrhal infections of the upper respiratory tract).
- Migraines (the primary form of headache, the symptoms of which are periodic bouts of headache of medium and high intensity).
- Neuralgia (a pathological condition that progresses due to damage to certain sections of the peripheral nerves).
- Fever for viral and infectious diseases.
- Fever in colds and flu.
When it is forbidden to use "Paracetamol"
As written in the annotation, the patient must read the instructions before using the medication. "Paracetamol" is forbidden to use in the following cases:
- Individual intolerance.
- Severe disorders in the functioning of the liver and kidneys.
- Liver failure.
- Children under 3 years old.
- Pregnancy in the first trimester.
- Chronic alcoholism
With extreme caution, "Paracetamol" is used in subsequent trimesters of an "interesting position" and during lactation.
How to take the medicine
Single and daily dosing of "Paracetamol" is determined by the doctor depending on age, weight, severity of pain or heat.
Adults and children from 12 years of age are prescribed 0.5-1 grams, one to two hours after eating, the maximum concentration of the drug is up to 4 g per day. The interval between the use of the medication should be at least four hours.
In people with liver or kidney damage, as well as with Gilbert's syndrome and in elderly patients, the daily dosage should be reduced and the interval between doses should be increased.
Is Paracetamol harmful to children? As written in the annotation, the drug is forbidden to be used only by babies under three years of age. The dosage of the drug is calculated based on the age and body weight of the child:
- The daily concentration from three to six years (with a weight of 15 to 22 kilograms) is 1 gram.
- Up to nine years (up to 30 kg) - 1.5 g.
- Up to twelve years (up to 40 kg) - 2 grams.
Frequency of use - four times a day; the time interval between each appointment should be at least four hours. If unpleasant signs persist, it is worth contacting a medical specialist.
Recommendations
The tablet can be taken regardless of the meal with water. Do not arbitrarily increase the indicated dosage. "Paracetamol" can not be used for more than five days as an analgesic and more than three days as an antipyretic without the permission of a medical specialist. An increase in the daily concentration of the drug or an increase in the duration of therapy is possible only under the supervision of a doctor.
Is it possible to take medication during an "interesting" position
Is Paracetamol harmful during pregnancy? In the first three months, tablets, like any other drugs, are forbidden to use, since this can adversely affect the fetal development.
In subsequent trimesters of pregnancy, the use of "Paracetamol" is possible only under the supervision of a medical specialist.
Treatment with Paracetamol during lactation must be agreed with the doctor. The substance is excreted in breast milk, so if necessary, the baby should be transferred to a mixture.
Does the drug cause unwanted reactions
What harm does Paracetamol do to the body? As written in the annotation, during the use of a medication, people may experience certain side effects:
- Nausea.
- Urticaria (a skin lesion characterized by the rapid onset of severely itchy blisters on the skin).
- Vomiting.
- Quincke's edema (an acute disease that is characterized by the appearance of a clearly limited angiotherapy of the skin, subcutaneous tissue, as well as the mucous membrane of various organs and systems of the body).
- Diarrhea.
- Increased activity of hepatic transaminases.
- Pain in the gastrointestinal tract.
- Agranulocytosis (an ailment characterized by a decrease in the content of granulocytes in the blood).
- Neutropenia (a pathological condition in which the number of neutrophils in the body decreases sharply).
- Flatulence (excessive accumulation of gases in the intestines).
- Liver enlargement.
- Increased heart rate.
- Change in blood pressure parameters.
- Tachycardia (a type of arrhythmia characterized by a heart rate of more than 90 beats per minute).
- Anemia (a pathological condition characterized by a decrease in hemoglobin concentration and in the vast majority of cases the number of red blood cells per unit volume of blood).
- Decreased platelet and white blood cell counts.
- Pyuria (an inflammatory process of the urinary system, characterized by purulent content in the urine).
- Interstitial nephritis (a common ailment characterized by acute or chronic abacterial inflammation of the interstitial tissue and tubules of the kidneys).
- Glomerulonephritis (inflammation of the glomeruli of the kidneys of an autoimmune or infectious-allergic nature, which is manifested by edema, increased blood pressure, decreased urine output).
- Impaired kidney function.
- In severe cases, the development of renal failure.
- Angioneurotic edema (an acute condition characterized by the rapid development of local edema of the mucous membrane, subcutaneous tissue and the skin itself).
- Pancreatitis (inflammation in the pancreas in which there is a development of a deficiency in the production of pancreatic enzymes of varying severity).
- Arrhythmia (a pathological condition leading to a violation of the frequency, rhythm and sequence of excitation and contraction of the heart).
- Rashes on the skin like hives.
- Hyperemia (overflow of blood vessels of the circulatory system of any organ or body area).
If these negative effects occur during administration, a person should consult a specialist.
Is Paracetamol harmful to the stomach? It is known that the drug is contraindicated in patients with gastritis, since the drug irritates the mucous membrane, and its use can lead to exacerbation of unpleasant symptoms.
"Paracetamol" raises or lowers blood pressure
As far as is known, the medicine does not have any effect on blood pressure indicators. The drug "Paracetamol" can help stabilize pressure only indirectly if its increase is a reaction to pain (reducing their severity, the drug normalizes performance).
Drug interaction
When using "Paracetamol" with inducers of microsomal liver enzymes, as well as drugs that have hepatotoxic effects, there is a risk of increased hepatotoxic effects. When combined with anticoagulants, a slight or moderate increase in prothrombin time is likely.
Concomitant use with anticholinergic drugs reduces the absorption of Paracetamol. The combination of the drug with oral contraceptives can reduce the analgesic effect of the analgesic.
When combined with uricosuric drugs, their effectiveness decreases. Activated carbon lowers the bioavailability of Paracetamol.
Therapy Features
People who have severe liver damage in the history of the disease should consult a specialist before treatment and take blood tests to determine the activity of hepatic transaminases.
If you need prolonged use of the medication, it is important for a person to control blood counts. In pediatrics, the drug is prescribed in the form of a suspension, which is allowed to be given to children from two months old.
Is Paracetamol harmful to the liver? If we talk about the effect of the drug on this organ, it should be noted that it is this drug that acts as direct hepatotoxin. This means that the more Paracetamol the patient has consumed, the higher the likelihood of developing hepatitis and liver failure.
Reviews
Most of the reviews about the drug are positive. "Paracetamol" has a good effect in these diseases.
In general, patients speak remarkably about the medication. The drug quickly eliminates the temperature, eliminates undesirable reactions and is perfectly tolerated by people of different ages. Doctors believe that it is important during therapy to choose the right dosage form, calculate the dosage.