People taking paracetamol for chronic pain on to regular basis should be careful to avoid accidental overdose of the drug.
Researchers at Edinburgh University have suggested that people who regularly take paracetamol as a painkiller may be at risk from a 'staggered overdose'. This can happen when a person takes just one or two more tablets than recommended a day over a period of time, said the researchers in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. They looked at the medical records of 663 people who were referred to hospital. When a staggered overdose continues, it can cause liver problems and other medical complications.
' People are advised not to exceed 8 tablets of 500 mg per day. This has been the recommendation for some time,' said Dr Richard Hull, chair of Arthritis Care's clinical and medical advisory board. ' You should also be aware that other drugs, such as co-codamol and co-dydramol, also contain paracetamol and this should be kept in mind when taking them.' Over-the-counter medications, such as Lemsip or decongestants, can contain paracetamol as well.
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