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\nEleven percent of people commonly exceed the daily limit of eight tablets within a 24-hour period. File photo.
\nPhoto: 123RF\n<\/p>\n
Many New Zealanders are unintentionally taking too much paracetamol, a new study has found, prompting calls for warning labels on products containing the drug.<\/p>\n
University of Auckland researchers surveyed almost 2000 people about their understanding of paracetamol.<\/p>\n
They found that a third commonly took more than the recommended two painkiller tablets at once.<\/p>\n
Eleven percent commonly exceeded the daily limit of eight tablets within a 24-hour period.<\/p>\n
Senior research fellow Dr Samantha Marsh said the study showed concerning knowledge gaps, such as people believing they should take more than two tablets at a time because they are a ‘big person’ or need extra pain relief.<\/p>\n
“That was common. I even asked my brother, who is 6’5, and he said he takes three Panadol at once because he’s bigger. That’s actually incorrect and not how it works.”<\/p>\n
She said paracetamol had a “narrow therapeutic window” and there is a fine line between taking too much and not enough.<\/p>\n
“People think paracetamol is safe, which it is, if you take it at the right dose.<\/p>\n
“But, because of the way it’s broken down by the body, when you take more than the recommended dose, the liver gets overwhelmed and can be seriously damaged.”<\/p>\n
She also advised against taking paracetamol for 24 hours after consuming alcohol.<\/p>\n
She said half of the survey respondents were unaware that paracetamol was in common cold and flu products, like Lemsip or Codral.<\/p>\n
“What we found was that for Lemsip, only 49 percent of people recognised that it contains paracetamol. So people are taking Lemsip and a dose of paracetamol together when they are sick, not knowing they are actually exceeding the dosage guidelines.”<\/p>\n
She said half also did not identify paracetamol in formulations with different drugs in them.<\/p>\n
Marsh would like to see stickers on the front of such products with a warning – “Do not take with Paracetamol” or “Contains Paracetamol”.<\/p>\n
She said that when a doctor prescribes paracetamol or when it is bought at a Pharmacy, people should be reminded of the appropriate dosage.<\/p>\n
Two-thirds of respondents said their doctors and pharmacists had never spoken to them about the dangers of taking too much paracetamol.<\/p>\n
The survey was based on a sample of 1723 people broadly representing the makeup of the New Zealand population.<\/p>\n
With measles cases on the rise in New Zealand, she acknowledged parents might be reaching for paracetamol, often as Pamol, for their children.<\/p>\n
Marsh, who is also a parent, suggested writing down what medicine a child had been given when they are sick.<\/p>\n
“When a child is very unwell, it’s easy for tired or stressed parents to lose track of doses, particularly in the middle of the night, so keeping a written record can help prevent harm.<\/p>\n
“If you have parents in and out of the house, one might give a kid paracetamol without the other parent knowing.<\/p>\n
“What I do is write down the time they would be safe to have another dose, where the other parent can see.”<\/p>\n
She said it was important for parents dosing Pamol to carefully follow the dosage guidelines on the bottle.<\/p>\n
People could visit Healthify<\/a> for more information on how to take paracetamol safely.<\/p>\n