Details

Paracetamol is a pain reliever and a fever reducer. Paracetamol is used to treat many conditions such as headache, muscle aches, arthritis, backache, toothaches, colds, and fevers. It relieves pain in mild arthritis but has no effect on the underlying inflammation and swelling of the joint. An overdose of paracetamol can cause serious harm. Taking more paracetamol could cause damage to your liver. Before using paracetamol, tell your doctor if you have liver disease or a history of alcoholism.

Typical Uses

Paracetamol is used to treat mild to moderate pain (from headaches, menstrual periods, toothaches, backaches, osteoarthritis, or cold/flu aches and pains) and to reduce fever. Paracetamol is contained in many combination medicines. If you use certain products together you may accidentally use too much paracetamol.

Side Effects

Common paracetamol side effects may include low fever with nausea, stomach pain, and loss of appetite dark urine, clay-coloured stools or jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Drug Interactions

• Paracetamol+prilocaine- Talk to your doctor before using prilocaine together with paracetamol. Prilocaine can cause a condition called methemoglobinemia that reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood to different organs, and combining the medication with acetaminophen may increase the risk. Infants and patients with certain conditions such as glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency or anaemia are more likely to develop this condition.
• Paracetamol+leflunomide- Leflunomide may cause liver problems, and using it with other medications that can also affect the liver such as paracetamol may increase that risk. Because leflunomide can stay in your blood for a prolonged period after the last dose, interactions with other drugs may occur for some time even after you have stopped taking it. You should avoid or limit the use of alcohol while being treated with these medications.
• Paracetamol+mipomersen- Mipomersen may cause liver problems, and using it with other medications that can also affect the liver such as paracetamol may increase that risk. You should avoid or limit the use of alcohol to no more than one drink per day while being treated with these medications.
• Paracetamol+teriflunomide- Teriflunomide may cause liver problems, and using it with other medications that can also affect the liver such as paracetamol may increase that risk. Because teriflunomide can stay in your blood for a prolonged period after the last dose, interactions with other drugs may occur for some time even after you have stopped taking it. You should avoid or limit the use of alcohol while being treated with these medications.

Mechanism of action

Paracetamol belongs to class of medications called analgesics (painkiller) and antipyretics (fever reducing). Paracetamol reduces pain by increasing the pain threshold. It reduces fever by acting on the temperature-regulating region of brain, resulting in increased blood flow across the skin, sweating and heat loss.

Pregnancy Category : C

Medicine that Uses Paracetamol