Acetaminophen is an analgesic that is used to provide relief from minor pains such as headache and muscular ache, backache and minor pain triggered by arthritis. It is a widely used non-prescribed medication. It also provides temporary relief from common cold, toothache and premenstrual/menstrual cramps.
It is used widely in every household to cure minor inconvenient aches. The amount of acetaminophen must be monitored closely as too much acetaminophen can result in renal diseases like kidney cancer and others.
Before changing the type of acetaminophen or increasing or decreasing the dosage a physician must be consulted. There are, however, some moderate implications of using it with another drug, but they are not too serious. It has low to mild implications on interaction with about 55 other drugs.
There is not one drug abuse case that has surfaced in recent years or ever since acetaminophen has been in use. It is often recommended by doctors based on the patient’s body weight; hence, drug companies prohibit consumers to share this medication with someone who has the same symptoms as you do.
In any case a physician must be contacted. Do not double up the dose in case you miss one dose. A heavy acetaminophen overdose can result in fatal liver damage. It has been reported safe for both pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.
Slight dosage on an everyday basis in adults has shown lower toxic bodies in toxicology report. However, it must be established that slight dosages of acetaminophen is known to cause irregular liver functions. It is recommended not to drink alcohol before or after consuming acetaminophen as it can cause very severe liver damage.