The drug "Paracetamol": from what it is used? Treatment and cautions

"Paracetamol" - one of the most common drugs sold without a doctor's prescription. In addition to the Russian name "Paracetamol", this medicine can be found under such names: Efferalgan, Panadol, Paracet, Volpan, Dofalgan, Meksalen, Opradol, Akamol, and Acetaminophen.

The forms of its release are very diverse:

• Syrups.
• Capsules.
• Drops.
• Elixirs.
• Rectal suppositories.
• Pills.
• Soluble powders for oral administration.
• Liquid for injection.

The properties of the drug are reduced to anesthesia and a drop in temperature, as evidenced by the attached instruction, which states that the drug "Paracetamol" - an analgesic and antipyretic.

Tablets "Paracetamol": from what they help? This medication is intended to treat the manifestations (symptoms) of the disease, and can only be used to temporarily relieve pain and heat. To determine the disease and a thorough treatment, it is advisable to consult a doctor who decides whether it makes sense to continue taking this medication.

"Paracetamol" is a drug that is safe enough, as a rule, not causing serious disorders in the body due to an overdose. Exceeding a dose two or three times is usually not a threat to health, but do not be guided by this and take the medicine over the norm in the hope of relieving fever or pain.

The effect of the drug and its hidden potentialities

Unlike the drug "Ibuprofen", the "Paracetamol" tablets do not have a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect, nevertheless due to their positive qualities they can be found in almost every home medicine cabinet.

This drug is best tolerated by people with an increased level of acidity, it can be taken at any time and not necessarily after eating (as it is commonly believed).

The effect of the drunk medicament appears after about 15 minutes and lasts for 4 hours. Some studies have confirmed that this miracle drug affects not only physical pain, but also a bad state of mind caused by an accident, which means that its effect extends to the central nervous system.

The drug "Paracetamol": disadvantages

Since there are no ideal medicines, this universal drug has drawbacks, which you should definitely know about:

• The drug "Paracetamol" does not always help and not everyone. This fact is explained by the fact that it is a weakly anaesthetising medication, ineffective in case of severe pain. Perhaps the reason lies in the development in humans of a different number of liver enzymes, which deactivate the medication itself. A high level of enzymes simply takes the medicine out of the body before it has time to act.
• Despite its harmlessness, there is still a risk of overdose. The critical content of "Paracetamol" in blood can pose a real threat to human life. The maximum dose should not contain more than 2 tablets in one session, such receptions should be no more than 4 per day.

The medicine is not for frequent use

The drug "Paracetamol" (tablets), the use of which was excessive, can very quickly hit internal organs. Patients who are in the intensive care unit are given antidote N-acetylcysteine in large quantities. The condition in which excretion of toxins from the body is difficult (liver disease, hangover, individual feature of the body), can worsen the situation and greatly complicate the work of the liver.

This medication is not intended for systematic use, so if pain is caused by a chronic illness, alternate analgesics should be looked for.

Tablets "Paracetamol". From what and how much to take: safety rules

• The greatest dose for adults is 4 g per day, 1 g per one dose. The interval between the medications should be at least 4 hours. Any dose is taken into account, regardless of the form in which it was ingested - either orally, intravenously or rectally.
• Children's dosage is indicated in the annotation or on the bottle, it is calculated based on the weight and age of the child. As for the preparation "Paracetamol" in tablets, the dosage in tablets is calculated in the same way as for adults, and the calculation of the amount of the drug according to the weight of the child will be more accurate than in its age. But if you know the exact weight of the baby is not possible, you should use the age table.

What is not worth doing?

The maximum dosage and number of doses should in no case be exceeded. If the temperature at the child has risen before the allocated term of reception, it is necessary to replace a medicine, for example, with a preparation "Ibuprofen". If there is no alternative, or the baby is too small to take other medications, you can arrange a warm shower, then always call a pediatrician. If, however, the maximum dose has been exceeded, you should immediately consult a pediatrician, without waiting for the appearance of side effects.

If there are problems with the kidneys, about the drug "Paracetamol" should be forgotten, replacing it with a medicine "Aspirin".

Contraindications:

• High sensitivity to the drug.
• Newborns up to 3 months.
• Pregnancy, lactation.
• Diseases of the liver.
• Old age.

You can not take uncontrolled tablets "Paracetamol." What does the dosage depend on? This remedy is a component of complex preparations, such as "Antigrippin", "Teraflu", "Fervex", "Solpadein", "Coldrex", "Meksavit", "Panadein" and many others, used for colds and have additional effects - Antiallergic, antitussive, eliminating nasal congestion. To avoid overdose, the drug should be stored away from children.

In Russia, the drug "Paracetamol" (children's) can be presented in the form of syrup and candles of 50-150 mg, which are used almost from the first months of the child's life. In order to properly calculate the dose and prevent drug poisoning, prescribe Paracetamol in tablets for children over 6 years.

Calculation of the effective dose for a child:

- 3-6 months ~ 2 times per day for 80 mg;

- 6-12 months ~ 2-3 times for 80 mg;

- 1-2 years ~ 3-4 times for 80 mg;

- 2-4 years ~ 2-3 times for 150 mg;

- 4-6 years ~ 3-4 times a day for 150 mg;

- 6-8 years ~ 2-3 times for 250-300 mg;

- 8-12 years ~ 3 times a day for 250-300 mg;

- 12-15 years ~ 3-4 times for 250-300 mg.

Faithful Assistant

Why is the drug "Paracetamol" so popular? What exactly is this fame? The most common cause of its use is an increase in temperature in infectious diseases, among which the most common are ARVI. High efficacy of the drug is observed in the acute respiratory viral infection, but in the event of complications of this disease, the effect of the drug is minimized or completely disappears. No serious infection is too tough for this medicine, as it is not possible to lower the temperature in this case. That is why the drug "Paracetamol" should be in every medicine cabinet, as it gives an opportunity to correctly assess the severity of the disease: if the temperature easily gets stuck, then the probability of an insignificant disease of the organism is high. If he does not give any action, then something more serious is possible, which means that in the near future one should visit the attending physician.