Paracetamol, how it works? harmful?

Question

How does paracetamol works? And does it have any side effects? Many told me that taking too much of that will casue kidney failure or make it work extra hard.. What are the possible side effects?

Answer 1

If its what I think you mean (sorry, american here), Paracetamol is your version of acetominophen. If thats the case, its just a really powerful medicine. Mostly, taken in really large doses its hard on your stomach (makes your stomach micro-bleed). But thats taking ALOT over a LONG period of time. Any medication, if you overdose, can do bad bad things to your kidneys.

OK, looked it up on wiki. Heres the link. :)

Answer 2

Paracetamol relieves pain and fever in adults and children, and it is the most widely accepted medicine for this purpose. It is used mainly for its pain relief properties either as a medicine prescribed by a doctor or it can be purchased as an over-the-counter medicine both in retail pharmacies or grocers shops.

There are virtually no groups of people who should not take paracetamol, and interactions with other treatments are not a problem.

When taken at the recommended dosage, there are virtually no side-effects.

Its pain relief (analgesic) and fever relief (antipyretic) effects are similar to those of aspirin and it works in a similar, though not identical, way. Unlike aspirin, however, increasing the dose does not result in clinically useful anti-inflammatory activity. Paracetamol is therefore not of value for reducing inflammation in the treatment of chronic rheumatic diseases as are the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin. Nevertheless, paracetamol does provide useful pain relief and is considered the first line treatment in osteoarthritis.

Paracetamol can be combined with decongestant ingredients to help relieve the symptoms of the common cold, influenza and sinusitis by relieving headache, general aches, nasal congestion and fever.

Paracetamol and its combinations are mainly available as tablets for immediate consumption or for dissolving in water before consumption. It is suitable for all age groups including the very young for whom it may be used following immunisation procedures, and it is available in liquid formulations for young children.

Particular features include:

1. Its analgesic (pain relief) and antipyretic (fever relief) effects are comparable to those of aspirin.

2. There are virtually no groups of people who should not take it.

3. Interactions with other treatments are not a problem.

4. At the recommended dosage there are virtually no side-effects.

5. It is suitable for small children and the elderly.

6. It can be taken by those sensitive to aspirin.

7. It is well tolerated by patients with peptic ulcers.

Answer 3

taking to many can cause liver failure and death