Paracetamol warning: 4 signs that indicate an overdose

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Paracetamol is analgesic and antipyretic. The drug is used to treat many conditions such as headache, muscle pain, arthritis, back pain, toothache, cold and fever.

It relieves the pain of mild arthritis but does not affect inflammation and swelling of the joint. Taking the drug to relieve any minor ailment you may be suffering from can be helpful, but taking too much of it can cause any of these three gastrointestinal symptoms.

The first signs of paracetamol overdose include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, sweating, confusion or weakness.

Endoscopic studies allow direct assessment of damage to the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract caused by drugs. Later symptoms may include upper abdominal pain, dark urine and yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes.

Regarding the safety of gastrointestinal illness and taking paracetamol, research published in the National Library of Health examines this question in more detail.

The study notes:

“It is widely known that paracetamol is particularly suitable for patients at high risk of developing ulcers or bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. This view has been challenged by recent epidemiological studies using computerized prescription data, which have shown that paracetamol exhibits dose-dependent gastrointestinal toxicity.”

The study concluded that paracetamol, especially at high doses , can cause upper GI symptoms such as abdominal pain/discomfort, heartburn, nausea or vomiting.

Other warning signs that you may have taken too much paracetamol include:

• Pain in the upper right part of the abdomen
• Confusion
• Jaundice (skin with a yellow tint)
• Low blood sugar blood (hypoglycemia)
• Unexpected bleeding (impaired normal blood coagulation)
• Encephalopathy (brain damage)