I have been taking either soluble co codamol or soluble paracetamol for the last 4 - 5 yrs. I never take more than 4 a day but i do drink alcohol about every other weekend. Whenever i get my bloods done my liver function test is always raised and then i scare myself and stop the tablets and drink until i get my bloods re tested which is usually 2 weeks later. It always goes back down to normal. So could taking these paracetamol be affecting my liver even though i don't take more then 4 a day? Or is it a combination of the 2? What else can i try instead of these to cope with pain and various symptoms that won't damage my body?
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paracetamol.
- Thread starter Fuzzyhead
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Mary
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@Fuzzyhead - as you may know, paracetamol (acetaminophen) is the leading cause of acute liver failure. And alcohol of course is also hard on the liver. And 4 tablets a day can definitely affect the liver. It doesn't have to be a huge amount. and of course the 2 together are going to affect your liver.
Have you tried ibuprofen for pain?
Have you tried ibuprofen for pain?
Countrygirl
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I think ibruprofen has just received some very negative press as it is associated with heart damage. I should check it out.
For what it is worth, paracetamol makes me feel very unwell the day after I take it and I assume my liver can't deal with it. I also recall when a 15 year-old pupil of mine told me she had just taken six paracetamol she had to be taken into hospital to have her stomach pumped out as that number was considered to be capable of causing organ damage. A drug to be avoided I think.
purrsian
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The lady serving me at the chemist yesterday was telling my that ibuprofen is not good long term for the liver or kidneys, but paracetamol is actually worse for the kidneys (not sure about liver). I prefer to use ibuprofen plus codeine, as the codeine helps my sinus-like head symptoms too, but that's obviously not ideal long term either.
My fiancé also takes it most days, as he was assaulted at work and got a bulged lumbar disk as a result. It's mostly ok now, but constant dull pain I think. Ibuprofen plus is now kind of regulated in Aus, we don't need a prescription but you can only buy it max once a week (most chemists give us a hard time or don't give it to us if we're getting it that often) and it requires you to show ID because it's on a national register. We usually have cold and flu tablets on hand, as they aren't regulated at all and provide some relief as the day tablets have codeine too.
The bad thing is that all pain relief medication is bad for your organs because they are hard to filter and excrete. So it is ideal to take them as little as possible. But at the end of the day, you have to live and be able to do stuff. So I figure try to find the medication that does the least damage with a decent benefit. Most medications have bad effects on the body in some way, it's a matter of weighing up the pros and cons. I also stick to the idea that the least amount of drug required is the best amount.
Oh and anything else you can do (lifestyle-wise, such as diet, drinking, environment, even using more natural cosmetics) to make life easier for your liver and reduce toxins is always a little plus. Our systems are sensitive and the harder we work our livers, the more of our limited energy is spent on eliminated toxins.
My fiancé also takes it most days, as he was assaulted at work and got a bulged lumbar disk as a result. It's mostly ok now, but constant dull pain I think. Ibuprofen plus is now kind of regulated in Aus, we don't need a prescription but you can only buy it max once a week (most chemists give us a hard time or don't give it to us if we're getting it that often) and it requires you to show ID because it's on a national register. We usually have cold and flu tablets on hand, as they aren't regulated at all and provide some relief as the day tablets have codeine too.
The bad thing is that all pain relief medication is bad for your organs because they are hard to filter and excrete. So it is ideal to take them as little as possible. But at the end of the day, you have to live and be able to do stuff. So I figure try to find the medication that does the least damage with a decent benefit. Most medications have bad effects on the body in some way, it's a matter of weighing up the pros and cons. I also stick to the idea that the least amount of drug required is the best amount.
Oh and anything else you can do (lifestyle-wise, such as diet, drinking, environment, even using more natural cosmetics) to make life easier for your liver and reduce toxins is always a little plus. Our systems are sensitive and the harder we work our livers, the more of our limited energy is spent on eliminated toxins.
Mary
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Ibuprofen does not affect the liver like paracetamol - do a google search for "acetaminophen liver" - even taking a relatively small amount over the recommended dose can cause liver damage and it is the leading cause of acute liver failure.
Ibuprofen can affect the heart and the kidneys, depending how much you take, but I think it's safer. None of the pain relievers are completely safe and of course you need to take as little as possible.
My sister has rheumatoid arthritis and has been taking ibuprofen regularly for 2 years now and is doing okay with it. She knows it has risks but she doesn't have a choice.