An urgent warning has been issued to anyone who takes paracetamol regularly. The painkiller is taken for a range of ailments, including headache and muscle pain. It is generally safe as long as the recommended dosage is followed.
Dipa Kamdar, senior lecturer in pharmacy practice at Kingston University, warned that even taking a few pills above the recommendation could have “extremely dangerous” consequences for your liver. Drinking alcohol is often assumed to be a primary cause of liver damage, but Mrs Kamdar warned there are some “often overlooked” daily habits which can lead to serious conditions, such as permanent scarring of the liver or liver failure.
She wrote in The Conversation that taking too much paracetamol can lead to life-threatening conditions, as well as eating foods high in sugar or saturated fat and smoking.
The expert said: “Despite its remarkable resilience – and even its ability to regenerate – the liver is not indestructible.
“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.
“As damage progresses, more obvious signs may emerge. One of the most recognisable is jaundice, where the skin and the whites of the eyes turn yellow.”
When the liver breaks down paracetamol, it produces the toxic by-product NAPQI. The protective substance glutathione usually renders this neutral.
But the liver can be overwhelmed when a person takes too much of the drug, flooding the body with NAPQI.
Mrs Kamdar said that in an overdose, glutathione stores become depleted, and this allows NAPQI to accumulate and attack liver cells.
She said this can result in acute liver failure, which can be fatal. The expert said even small overdoses, or combining paracetamol with alcohol, can increase the risk of serious harm.
She advised always sticking to the recommended dose and speaking to a doctor if you regularly need pain relief.