Acetaminophen


Acetaminophen is a medicinal substance with a slight anti-inflammatory impact and strong medication and antipyretic results. Acetaminophen belongs to the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication and is a non-narcotic painkiller.


Acetaminophen acts by suppressing the development of prostaglandins in the body program. Prostaglandins are substances that are involved in some of the body responses, including responses to a disease. This action of Acetaminophen decreases the consequences of prostaglandins on the thermoregulation center in the brain and this gives the antipyretic impact. Besides, low concentration of prostaglandins decreases the understanding of nerve tissues to stimulating elements (mechanical and chemical stimuli) – this is due to the medication impact of Acetaminophen. The weak anti-inflammatory impact is also associated with self-consciousness of development of prostaglandins, as they are one of the links in the sequence chain in the evolvement of an swelling.

Indications

Fever in inflamation related procedures and infections;
Chronic and acute discomfort of mild to moderate intensity (headache, tooth ache, discomfort during monthly periods, discomfort in joints and muscles, neuralgia, etc.);
In the post-operative interval during treatment of injuries.
Side effects

When used according to instructions or the physician's prescription, medication containing Acetaminophen are usually well accepted and all the coming up side effects are unusual.

Rare part effects

Disorders of the digestive program – nausea or vomiting, heartburn, abdomen pain;
Allergy by means of allergy, epidermis redness, swelling, breathing or ingesting difficulty;
Nephritis and conditions in the volume and quality of urine;
Increased blood vessels reduction, irregularities in blood vessels cell count.
Acetaminophen-based medication are usually well accepted and side effects are very unusual. However, if you experience any discomfort after getting such medication, notify your physician.

Serious part effects

Toxic liver organ harm (in the situation of an over dose or frequent use of great dose of the drug), which can reveal by means of yellowness of the sclera and epidermis, discomfort in the right upper quadrant and the abdomen, hunger reduction, itching, diarrhoea, depression, dark pee, and in severe situations, coma.
Toxic renal harm can reveal by means of decrease in the amount of pee, change in its color, and discomfort in the hips region.
In very unusual situations (these periods are so unusual that we cannot effectively say whether Acetaminophen was the cause of ulcer, or whether the ulcer appeared individually of the drug):

Formation of sores in the mucous membrane layer of the digestive tract;
Bleeding from existing sores.
The serious side effects of Acetaminophen usually create when getting great dose of the medication over a while, or in the situation of frequently getting unwanted dose. See a physician instantly when you create any serious complication.

Laboratory abnormalities

Persistent clinical irregularities usually occur with frequent use of certain dose of Acetaminophen over a while. These clinical irregularities consist of anemia, pancytopenia, methemoglobinemia, agranulocytosis, and thrombocytopenia.

Side results in children

The way Acetaminophen is modified in grownups varies in kids. In the grownups, it forms volatile but harmful advanced substances, which, in the event of unwanted dose, can have harmful results on the liver organ tissues. In kids, these advanced substances are not formed. Therefore, a kid's liver organ can tolerate Acetaminophen treatment more than the liver organ of an adult. The dose, which varies between kids of different ages, should be treated with care. Generally, kids are less susceptible to the side effects of Acetaminophen. If the kid is getting a medication with Acetaminophen for initially, be sure to monitor the well-being of that kid during treatment.

Side results during maternity and breast-feeding

Acetaminophen is not contraindicated in all trimesters of maternity. However, before treatment seek advice from with your physician to know what dose and under which signs can such medication be used. The physician will take a decision and make suggestions for treatment depending on the individual features of your body program.

Acetaminophen passes into the breasts milk products in a little bit. Therefore, nursing mothers need to seek advice from the physician before using such medication.

Side results in the elderly

With age, the impact of antitoxic procedures and other metabolic procedures in the liver organ may reduce. Removal of Acetaminophen from the body program may also decline. Therefore, you need to be attentive to your health, and it is better to seek advice from with the physician on the possibility of treatment with the medication, considering your healthcare problem and comorbidities.

Overdose

Overdose signs may include:

Disorders of the digestive program – vomiting and nausea or vomiting, diarrhoea, hunger reduction, and abdomen pain;
Disorders of the neurological program – depression, withdrawal leading to convulsions, sweating, and coma.
If you create Acetaminophen over dose signs, instantly seek healthcare help.

Warnings and recommendations

Acetaminophen has no direct healing impact for the common cold and other attacks, but simply decreases the degree of its signs (fever, swelling, headache). Therefore, it is more suitable for single use in patients with these signs.

You should avoid frequent use of medicines with Acetaminophen, especially in great dose, as this may negatively affect the situation of the liver organ.

Before you begin medicines with Acetaminophen, seek advice from with a specialist, especially if you have or have had illnesses of the liver organ, renal, abdomen, and digestive system, and if you are allergic to Acetaminophen or to medication containing it.

If you took medication containing Acetaminophen on the day before or on the day of evaluation, notify the physician, since such medication are capable of changing the factors of certain lab assessments (for example, blood vessels tests) and other evaluation s(measuring the body program temperature).

Acetaminophen and alcohol

Alcohol can aggravate the harmful results of great dose of Acetaminophen on the liver organ. Therefore, it is recommended to refrain from drinking consumption during Acetaminophen treatment. This recommendation especially concerns people with liver organ illnesses, because a combination of liquor and Acetaminophen is especially hard accepted in them.