Paracetamol

[anniekat]

Hi All,

I don’t suppose that I’m the only one who is wondering whether the news that Paracetamol isn’t a successful drug for helping chronic back pain can be true.

I’m going to try cutting them out of my drug regime for a week and see if I notice any difference.

Just out of interest, how many regular paracetamol users have been sent for regular liver function tests? I’ve been taking it for years and haven had one test. Am I alone with this?

Annie x

[Genevieve]

Hi Annie. I take paracetamol for osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia. I also take low dosage Nortriptyline at night.

I must admit that I don’t find paracetamol particularly effective, but still try to do without it, if I can. I’m supposed to take six a day, but very rarely do. There was a report in 2014 warning GPs of the effects of long-term paracetamol use- heart, stomach and kidney problems. It said that paracetamol should be taken ‘at the lowest effective dose’ and for ‘the shortest possible time’. I remember asking my GP about it – my paracetamol is on prescription. He shrugged and said ‘What else can I prescribe for osteoarthritis?’ However, I’ve now been referred for physiotherapy and a course in a hydrotherapy pool, which, hopefully, will improve things.

Luckily, as I’m over 60, I have an annual health check and this includes a liver function test, which, so far, has been fine. Could you ask about a test for yourself?

All the best.

[anniekat]

hi Genevieve,

Im over 60, but no such luxury as automatic testing in my area! but i think i’ll ask about a test.

It’s very difficult to exercise when you are in pain – but i try and do as much as i can!

annie x

[Dave – Kent]

When I went on a pain course at my local hospital one of the questions was why we all ended up on different combinations of drugs. The reply was surprising to say the least.

The doctor told us that most drugs only work completely as they should for about 1/3 of the population, they work partially for another 1/3, and don’t work at all for the other 1/3, so they have to use trial and error to find which combination works reasonably well for each patient.

My mum had several operations in her time – broken leg as a child, hip replacements, triple heart by pass, etc – and the surgeons always had to give her between 2 and 3 times the normal dose of anaesthetic to get her unconcious because it didn’t work very well on her.

[Di]

I too have paracetamol on prescription> I’m supposed to take it to help my oxycodone to work better which it definitely does but I’m afraid like others I’m too concerned about the long term effects to take it regularly. I only take it during a flare and even then at half dose.

[Postie73]

Hi all I’m new to this site and already after reading a few posts feel like I’m not alone in the way I suffer endlessly with pain both physically and mentally. I also attended a pain management program and when we reached the subject of medication the only one we were all on was paracetamol the rest were all different depending on the person. When we asked why we were told paracetamol boost most other medications by around 20% but that GPs should do regular blood tests.

[dalhousie]

Annie – did u get a liver test done? I take Paracetamol so shud get a test done really. Will put it on my list but it’ll be a while before I get that done due to pain etc and my GP is some distance away x

[anniekat]

No, I didn’t get a test, but I guess anything amiss would’ve shown up in my pre-op blood tests. X

[dalhousie]

That’s true. Your liver must be tickety boo then x

[Author]

Posts