{"id":201305,"date":"2025-12-20T04:06:22","date_gmt":"2025-12-20T04:06:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/201305\/"},"modified":"2025-12-20T04:06:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-20T04:06:22","slug":"paracetamol-warning-issued-as-super-flu-cases-continue-to-soar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/201305\/","title":{"rendered":"Paracetamol warning issued as &#8216;super flu&#8217; cases continue to soar"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A pharmacist has issued a paracetamol warning as &#8220;super flu&#8221; cases are continuing to soar across the country. There&#8217;s important information you need to know about the medication<\/p>\n<p>Katie-Ann Gupwell Acting Content Editor<\/p>\n<p>13:25, 19 Dec 2025Updated 13:25, 19 Dec 2025<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_Generic-paracetamol-pills.jpg\" alt=\"Generic box of paracetamol pills\" loading=\"eager\"  \/>People have been issued a paracetamol warning (stock image)(Image: clubfoto via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">It&#8217;s widely recognised that flu cases have surged this winter,<a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irishmirror.ie\/news\/irish-news\/superflu-nightmare-irish-medic-calls-36407599\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\" leading to a sharp rise in hospital admissions due to the illnessLink opens in a new tab.\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\"> leading to a sharp rise in hospital admissions due to the illness<\/a>. However, if you&#8217;re battling a cold, cough, <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irishmirror.ie\/all-about\/flu\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"fluLink opens in a new tab.\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">flu<\/a> or any similar winter bug, there&#8217;s crucial information you need to know about taking medication.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">A pharmacist has issued an important warning about <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irishmirror.ie\/all-about\/paracetamol\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"paracetamolLink opens in a new tab.\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">paracetamol<\/a> use during this time of year, as there are key facts about the widely-used medication that many people may not be aware of. Whilst it&#8217;s routinely taken by individuals to alleviate pain and reduce fevers, there are certain circumstances where you should avoid taking it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">A medical expert, known as Pharmacist Anum, has shared the essential <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irishmirror.ie\/all-about\/health\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"healthLink opens in a new tab.\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">health<\/a> information the public needs to know. This comes after <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irishmirror.ie\/news\/irish-news\/health-news\/hse-urgent-warning-stay-home-36393222\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"people were told to stay at home if they&#039;re displaying certain symptoms.Link opens in a new tab.\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">people were told to stay at home if they&#8217;re displaying certain symptoms.<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">In a video, the pharmacist said: &#8220;If you&#8217;re buying over the counter cold and flu remedies at your pharmacy, you need to watch this video. These are the things that you don&#8217;t want to mix with popular cold and flu remedies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;So think things like Lemsip, Day Nurse, Benylin, anything like this, you do not want to be taking alongside paracetamol or any other paracetamol-containing medication. The reason being is that they already contain paracetamol.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;So, if you&#8217;re taking paracetamol in addition, you&#8217;re running the risk of overdosing. You also want to be careful with night-time specific remedies.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Content cannot be displayed without consent<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">She continued: &#8220;Things like Night Nurse, Benylin Night, cough syrup, to name a few. These often contain sedating antihistamines, so please do not take any antihistamines on top of this.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;What are antihistamines? Things like cetirizine, loratadine, fexofenadine. All that will happen is it will make you so much more drowsy, and increase the risk of side effects.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;If you&#8217;re ever unsure, speak with your pharmacist.&#8221; In essence, that&#8217;s everything you need to know to navigate the winter months safely.<\/p>\n<p>When should you steer clear of paracetamol?<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Whilst paracetamol can help ease flu symptoms, it&#8217;s crucial to avoid taking too much, as numerous cold and flu treatments already include paracetamol. The important thing is to always examine the label of any multi-symptom medication.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Never combine paracetamol with other products containing paracetamol to prevent overdose, and always consult a pharmacist if you&#8217;re uncertain. The NHS provides guidance on this matter as well.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/flu\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"NHS websiteLink opens in a new tab.\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">NHS website<\/a> advises: &#8220;A pharmacist can give treatment advice and recommend flu remedies. Do not take paracetamol and flu remedies that contain paracetamol at the same time, as it&#8217;s easy to take more than the recommended dose.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;Antibiotics do not work for viral infections such as flu. GPs do not recommend antibiotics for flu, because they will not relieve your symptoms, or speed up your recovery.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">It also highlighted that flu typically resolves itself over time; however, it can cause severe illness in some individuals. This underscores the importance of receiving the flu vaccine if recommended.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">For further information on colds and flu, consult the NHS website. A pharmacist or GP can also provide guidance on managing symptoms more effectively.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A pharmacist has issued a paracetamol warning as &#8220;super flu&#8221; cases are continuing to soar across the country.&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":201306,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[1913,103,61,60,1909],"class_list":{"0":"post-201305","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-flu","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-ie","11":"tag-ireland","12":"tag-paracetamol"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201305","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=201305"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201305\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/201306"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=201305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=201305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=201305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}