Do you know that Doliprane can pose a danger to your health?
This is indeed the alert launched by the French Health Agency (ANSM).
By the way, have you perhaps noticed this mention framed in red on your medicine boxes?
"Overdose =danger! Exceeding the dose can destroy the liver".
We find this message in particular on the boxes of Doliprane, Dafalgan, Efferalgan...
You know, all those pain relievers and fever relievers that we use almost daily...
So why this warning?
Quite simply, because of the risks of overconsumption of this over-the-counter drug . Explanations:
Taking too much paracetamol is very bad for the liver.
It is even a serious health hazard, as Le Monde explains!
As a result, the French Health Agency (ANSM) has decided to impose a warning message on the boxes of medicines containing only paracetamol.
It couldn't be clearer!
"Overdose =danger! Exceeding the dose can destroy the liver".
The objective is to warn patients about the risks to their health in the event of improper use.
For medicines that contain paracetamol combined with another chemical, you see this warning:
"Overdose =danger" and "Do not take another medicine containing paracetamol".
In all, this concerns more than 200 drugs!
“We do not know that excess paracetamol can have dramatic consequences on the liver”, explains Professor Cyrille Ferray, gastroenterologist and hepatologist at the Paul Brousse hospital in Villejuif, in the newspaper Le Parisien.
Indeed, very few of us know the dangers of overconsumption of this widely used drug.
Misused, paracetamol can cause sometimes irreversible liver damage , alerts the ANSM.
Especially in malnourished people, those who consume alcohol or who abuse paracetamol to calm pain, such as a toothache for example.
Did you know that improper use of paracetamol is the leading cause of drug-induced liver transplantation in France?
But that's not all.
Also be aware that the side effects of paracetamol can be hepatic, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal or dermatological.
Hence the importance of avoiding overdose...
But what is overdose, you ask me?
An overdose is an inappropriate use of the dosage of a drug.
For example, there is an overdose when the prescribed or recommended dose is exceeded.
Similarly, we speak of overdose when we exceed the duration of the prescribed or recommended treatment.
This is also the case when you do not respect a minimum delay between takes.
To avoid these risks, according to the ANSM, always take the lowest dose and the shortest possible time .
The ANSM reminds us how to use paracetamol correctly.
- Always respect the maximum daily dose and the recommended duration of treatment.
- Care should be taken not to use other medicines containing paracetamol.
- Do you weigh less than 50 kg or suffer from mild to moderate hepatic insufficiency, severe renal insufficiency or chronic alcoholism? So consult a doctor before taking paracetamol.
Thus, according to the newspaper Le Parisien, you should not exceed 5 days of treatment.
You should take a maximum of 3 g of paracetamol per day for self-medication.
Do not exceed 4 g per day if you have a medical prescription.
You should not take more than 1 g per dose (each time you take a tablet).
Take 4 hours apart:each time you take paracetamol, you have to wait 4 hours before you can take a new one.
You still need to be reassured.
If you follow the recommendations, paracetamol is an effective and safe drug.
"With normal consumption, it is a safe and effective drug “, recalls the director of the ANSM, Dominique Martin.
Paracetamol is a widely used drug in France.
And it turns out that its side effects remain very rare.
Moreover, the WHO still recommends it to fight against certain pains.
Did you know that it is one of the best-selling drugs in France?
He even experienced a increase in consumption by 53% in 10 years (2006-2017).
What is worrying is that the increase is mainly in the dosage to one gram.
That is, the strongest drug.
While it is recommended to start with the lowest dose.
Just imagine... Each year, we buy almost a billion of these little boxes.
Mind-blowing, isn't it?
And they are prescribed by prescription for 84% of them.
But according to Dr. Dominique Martin, the use of paracetamol is essentially self-medication.
According to Le Monde, sales are made in pharmacies in town for 96% of them.
And the typical consumer is actually a consumer:a woman aged 42 on average for 56% of them, according to Le Parisien.
According to the French Observatory of Analgesic Medicines (OFMA), 52% of the population had "at least" one prescription for paracetamol reimbursed in 2018.
Among them, 11.3% had at least six prescriptions during the year.
This indicates that a certain number of patients have a very regular use of paracetamol.
A headache, a little sore, a little fever... And presto, we take paracetamol.
Admit that we've all done it at least once!
But in the end, it's easy not to systematically use paracetamol to relieve pain.
Fortunately, there are grandmother's remedies to relieve a headache...
Or a toothache or even to bring down a fever. Do you know them?
- My 11 Tried and Proven Natural Headache Tricks.
- 5 Natural Foods That Work Miracles Against Fever and Colds.
- The 8 Effective Remedies When You Have Toothache.
These are effective and natural remedies.
And they allow you to use less paracetamol! Which in the end is better for your health and your wallet.
