General practitioner Rutger Verhoeff answers
General practitioner Rutger Verhoeff answers questions from practice. This time: can I stop taking paracetamol?
I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my back. I have a lot of pain because of this and I take a few paracetamol tablets every day. But now I read somewhere that paracetamol is bad for your liver. Should I stop taking those painkillers?
Answer:
Paracetamol can indeed be harmful to the liver, but that depends on the dosage, duration of use and possible risk factors. Most studies recommend a daily dose of 2.5 grams, spread over the day, for long-term use (longer than one month), provided there are no clear risk factors, such as chronic alcohol use or taking certain medications such as anticonvulsants, tuberculosis drugs and other pain relievers.
An annoying side effect of paracetamol is that the drug can cause headaches with prolonged use. In short: talk to your doctor about whether it is an option to alternate with another painkiller, a pain-relieving gel or injection. If you continue to have a lot of pain, an orthopedist can discuss with you whether surgery might offer a solution.
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Sources):
- Plus Healthy