Hello everyone, nice to have you hear again. Thanks for your all time support. Welcome to my blog again. Today we are discussing a very unique and important topic. So our full time attention is needed. Yes, Just last night I met my neighbour coming back from work, he looked so tired, exhausted and weak. Immediately he saw me, he cheered up a little and we started having some discussion. He told me about his plans for the upcoming world cup in Russia.

He told me he would have to take his work leave then so he could enjoy every match of the tournament. He told me i couldn't imagine how tired he was at that very moment. Then he make a mind-boggling statement that initiated this article. He told me he will have to take 6 tablet of paracetamol so as to regain this full strength tomorrow morning, he said his work is draining and stressful.

I was like wow! Are you joking? Are you for real? These made me remember what a friend on steemit @gentleshaid wrote about Datura metel(gegemu) abuse recently. People are really abusing substance and even drugs. I concluded without hesitating that its a must people are enlightened elaborately on the health hazard of taking overdose of paracetamol.

Everyone knows about paracetamol but only little people know its also harmful to human health. I can remember one of my lecturer told me how he fell victim of paracetamol toxicity before he was admitted into medical school.

So what is paracetamol ? paracetamol does it action in the body, how?
What are the risk associated with paracetamol? These are various questions this article will proffer in-dept discussion on

2nd SFS hosts bi-annual Drug Take-Back

Paracetamol is a world wide drug which contain an active substance called acetaminophen. It basically has two important function which includes it analgesic effect(pain relieving) and also its antipyretic effect(lowering of body temperature).

On a basis of emphasis, paracetamol is a common name and medically it is called acetaminophen due to the reason mentioned above. Paracetamol has some anti inflammatory effect so it is called anti-inflammatory drug. But basically it is mainly an analgesic drug. From the class it belong again we can deduce that its can be used when there is inflammation of any of the body tissue. Isn't it? So isn't paracetamol awesome and unique? Definitely it is.

Paracetamol has been in use for over 50 years now. The question that is worrisome now is, why are people overdosing themselves?

Can't they just follow simple drug label instruction? Paracetamol belong to the same class with drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen. They are all basically called analgesic like i said earlier. I know we are well acquitted with aspirin and its a drug we use very well too. The analgesic drugs i mentioned are all over the counter drugs(meaning you can get them from any pharmaceutical store without having a doctor's prescription).

We should also note that paracetamol is relatively weaker compare to other NSAID. It's commonly preferred because it is well tolerated. Paracetamol is been used for both severe, moderate and mild pains like headache, toothache and so on.

How does paracetamol act then?

It's important we know the mechanism of action of paracetamol in other to understand effects of its overdose. It acts as a pain reliever by affecting chemicals called prostaglandin.

Prostaglandin are substance in the body released as a response to pain, injury or any illness. Paracetamol usually affect(blocks) the production of this prostaglandin thereby making the body less aware of the pain. Its usually relieve inflammation and pain by inhibiting COX1 and COX 2 enzyme( COX means cyclooxygenase enzyme; its responsible for the production of some substance like thromboxane, prostanoids and prostaglandins from a substance called arachidonic acid).

It does this inhibition through inhibiting peroxidase function of this enzymes. Acetaminophen inhibits both COX1 and COX2, but there is more COX 2 selectivity this proven by its antiplatelet activity(platelet help blood coagulation; that prevents excessive bleeding).
Now based on how it reduces temperature, it does that by acting on brain area(serotonergic descending pathway) responsible for temperature control.

So what are the risk associated with paracetamol?

Drugs generally do have side effect. The effect varies from one individual to another. Some people respond exceptional (the basic reason is their genetic make up)meaning having more classical signs.

Paracelsus of pharmacology said(study of drugs)

The difference between drugs and poison is dose

Once the dose of a drug is exceeded the drug generally becomes poison. Alarm has been raised about paracetamol toxicity due to the fact, its gotten through over the counter. It's effect on human health generally is nothing to joke about. Even in developed countries of the world. People see paracetamol has "table water" and should be taken anytime, any dose to relieve anytime they are stressed.

But hell NO! Its isn't definitely. At least care must be taken on the dose taken at a particular period of time. Several effect of paracetamol are the follows
The number one effect of paracetamol is liver failure.

High number of liver failure cases are from paracetamol toxicity. Like a popular saying that "all substance are poison, only quantity separate" Even water, when taken in excess it causes toxicity.

So why on earth would people overdose themselves with paracetamol? Just for pain relieve? Oh, this is completely absurd. Paracetamol damages the liver by harming vital structures in and between the adjacent hepatocyte( the cells found in the liver).

Professor Nelson of Edinburgh University said

paracetamol is a drug that is most widely used for analgesic world wide. Rephrased by @tundevet

This implies that this toxicity is not limited to Nigerian or people in In Sub-Sahara Africa alone. It is a world wide problem. Paracetamol taken as analgesic has the recommended dose for different age group and once it is exceeded it causes acute liver failure(ALF).

Also another reason people could be predispose to paracetamol toxicity is because it's contained in several combinations(meaning its combined with other drugs). Though this cause of it toxicity is relatively low. But when its intake is combined with overdose of paracetamol again, it can cause ALF.

Prof. Nelson also said

Even at low dose of paracetamol it induces early tight junction in human cell disruption.

This reminds me of a popular saying in pharmacology "sometimes when one is tired or weak the best thing to take is nothing(and drugs)". Drugs are not as safe as we think they are.

This liver damage is so severe and its may lead to liver transplant, if the damage is chronic too.

Secondly, it also causes nausea(felling to vomit), anorexia(loss of appetite), pallor and abdominal pain. All these as well occur at the first 24hours of paracetamol overdosage. Also we should also note that abnormalities of glucose metabolism and also metabolic acidosis can occur. In severe paracetamol poison(like my neighbor taking up to 6 tablets of paracetamol there can be encephalopathy(disorder of the brain), hemorrhage (blood loss), hypoglycemia(low blood glucose) and finally leading to death.

Paracetamol is a drug that has been used as analgesic for more than 40 years and its use in treatment(antipyretic, relieving of pains which are short term.

Furthermore, it side effect can be divided into 2. Rare ones which include bloody stool, bloody urine, hyperthermia(increase in body temperature), skin rashes and so on. Once all the side effect above are seen a physician should be consulted.

Then at overdose again, which is another most important in this article, Symptoms like high rate of sweating, anorexia, muscle cramps and upper abdomen tenderness maybe seen. It is not generalized.

Also not to be left out is acetaminophen deposit in breast milk of nursing mother. Care should be taken in paracetamol intake. Acetaminophen is usually excreted into human milk in a minute quantity. This usually occur when it taken at a very high quantity. When breast milk is consumed frequently by the infant(this over a long time daily) it causes severe macculopapular rash(a rash on the body with both maccule and papules).

This usually occur in infant undergoing nursing and just in 2 months of age. Maccules and papule are skin defect.

Conclusion

With all these effects of paracetamol, there is no justifiable reason why paracetamol should be taken in excess. We should endeavor to educate our friends and family on health hazards of taking paracetamol in excess(overdose). Let say NO to substance and drug abuse. You can as well save live by informing people about the health implications. Let join hands and say NO to paracetamol-caused liver failure.

References

Express: paracetamol pain killer liver failure disease

Drugs: paracetamol side effects

Drugs: acetaminophen use during pregnancy

Medicine:paracetamol tablet

Cabothealth:paracetamol is not save as you may think

Informed:100drugs

Ncbi: normal pharmacology of paracetamol

Ncbi: Acetaminophen mechanism of action

Link:springer: pharmacology of paracetamol

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