An urgent alert has been sounded for those who frequently use paracetamol. This common pain reliever, often reached for to ease headaches and muscle aches, is typically safe when taken within the advised limits.
Dipa Kamdar, a senior lecturer in pharmacy practice at Kingston University, has highlighted the potential “extremely dangerous” impact on the liver of consuming just a small number of pills beyond the recommended dose.
While many associate alcohol consumption with liver damage, Mrs Kamdar points out that certain “often overlooked” everyday habits can also precipitate severe liver issues, including irreversible scarring or even liver failure.
In her article for The Conversation, she notes that excessive intake of paracetamol can lead to dire health emergencies, alongside diets rich in sugar or saturated fats and smoking habits.
The specialist remarked: “Despite its remarkable resilience – and even its ability to regenerate – the liver is not indestructible. ”
She added: “One of the challenges with liver disease is that it can be a silent threat. In its early stages, it may cause only vague symptoms like constant fatigue or nausea. ”
The process of metabolising paracetamol in the liver generates a harmful by-product known as NAPQI. Under normal circumstances, the substance glutathione neutralises this toxin.
However, the liver can become overburdened when an individual consumes excessive amounts of the drug, leading to a surge of NAPQI in the body.
Mrs Kamdar explained that during an overdose, glutathione reserves are exhausted, enabling NAPQI to build up and assault liver cells.
She highlighted that this could lead to acute liver failure, which can be lethal.
