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Have I just taken enough Paracetemol to overdose?

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Mr Blonde said:
^ I can't be bothered looking up a source, but I believe APAP is the drug responsible for the most overdose related hospital admissions, at least in the US.
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^ It's definitely the case in the UK. It was p_d who posted an article on it several years ago.... if he doesn't still have it to hand I'll have a look around when I get home and see what I can dig up :) Haha I only remember because a close family member of mine takes a bajillion panadeine forte for chronic pain management and I wanted to dissuade her due to the APAP & sent her the article... didn't work but it was worth a try.
 
Changed name of thread as it isn't urgent any more. Good posts in here. Will leave this up as a warning to people.
 
phase_dancer said:
Please, if you're going to take this much acetaminophen at least have some acetylcysteine in your cupboard. It's not that expensive, and it can certainly save your liver.

Also, the levels considered safe are for people with healthy livers. If you've been a bit of a drinker in your time, and/or have had liver disease, or are on some medications, then the damage can occur at lower levels. A high percentage of poisoning related hospital admissions are attributed to acetaminophen. Scaring, and fibrosis (cirrhosis) can also occur with prolonged use, however, by far the greatest risk is acute poisoning, which can take several days to manifest following a very large dose.

If you use panadol/codeine at all, to be safe, have some acetyl cysteine on hand.
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I am glad to hear your ok, may i ask did your drink before you consumed the tablets? btw i am learning something everyday thanks phase dancer i never knew what was acetylcysteine until now.
 
phase_dancer said:
Please, if you're going to take this much acetaminophen at least have some acetylcysteine in your cupboard. It's not that expensive, and it can certainly save your liver.

Also, the levels considered safe are for people with healthy livers. If you've been a bit of a drinker in your time, and/or have had liver disease, or are on some medications, then the damage can occur at lower levels. A high percentage of poisoning related hospital admissions are attributed to acetaminophen. Scaring, and fibrosis (cirrhosis) can also occur with prolonged use, however, by far the greatest risk is acute poisoning, which can take several days to manifest following a very large dose.

If you use panadol/codeine at all, to be safe, have some acetyl cysteine on hand.
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Is it that much of a worry if you are taking up to 6 x 500mg Cold and Flu tablets for a few days at a time, and is the acetylcysteine only useful if you have consumed a lot of Paracetamol, or is it worthwhile using inconjuction with the mentioned dosage?
 
^ It is worthwhile taking with the APAP I believe, it will help to prevent the correct metabolic pathways being overloaded. APAP toxicity is caused when the liver has to deal with too much of the substance and is forced to convert some of it into the hepatotoxic NAPQI.

That is 3 grams you are consuming, it's below the recommended amount but the box does say to consult your doctor if you are taking it for more then a few days. It's probably not healthy but it's not too bad for you unless you already have liver problems.

My psychs have ordered a liver function test I believe, I am awaiting the results after three years of almost constant daily codeine use from CWE. I'll let everyone know how it turns out if you are curious. :)
 
Mr Blonde said:
...ordered a liver function test I believe, I am awaiting the results after three years of almost constant daily codeine use from CWE. I'll let everyone know how it turns out if you are curious
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^ yes please. Here's hoping the tests come back indicating a fit & strong liver =D It's a remarkably resilient organ right?

Now back to paracetamol overdose and some light reading (with some of these the full text can be accessed, others you may need a subscription to the journal but most university students should have access through their respective institution):

Acetaminophen toxicity: suicidal vs accidental

Paracetamol causes most liver failure in UK and US

Acetaminophen safety and hepatotoxicity – where do we go from here?

Impact of Restricting Paracetamol Pack Sizes on Paracetamol Poisoning in the United Kingdom: A Review of the Literature

And for those interested in acetylcysteine that phase dancer mentioned (cheers for that btw - I had no idea about it before):

Mechanism of Action and Value of N-Acetylcysteine in the Treatment of Early and Late Acetaminophen Poisoning: A Critical Review
 
^ Yes the liver can be resilient as long as you give it a break every now and then, as well as using codeine a lot I'm a bit of a drinker and as we hopefully all know that's a recipe for disaster, fingers crossed the results come back OK. :)
 
^ Tbh I've never looked, but it's available from some au listed websites. acetyl cysteine is also now available as an injection under the trade name ACETADOTE, but this wouldn't be OTC.
 
thestudent14 said:
Glad to see your still with us my_innerself
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thanks for that comment mate:)

I've battled severe depression for about 6 years. That little episode happened almost 2 years ago. A definate low point in my life but at the same time a high point because it made me realise that I had alot more to live for. My depression has decreased dramatically since then and I'm off all my medication.

I was very lucky to survive that night. I was rushed to the ER just in time. I had filled half my lungs with vomit and almost shut my liver down completely. But what doesn't kill us can only make us stronger:\
 
Mr Blonde said:
...ordered a liver function test I believe, I am awaiting the results after three years of almost constant daily codeine use from CWE. I'll let everyone know how it turns out if you are curious
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belarki said:
^ yes please. Here's hoping the tests come back indicating a fit & strong liver It's a remarkably resilient organ right?
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Finally got the results of my liver function test today, along with all my other blood work results. Everything came back normal except for my B12 levels, which were on the low end of normal. That probably isn't related to my codeine use.

So there you go, Mr Blonde's patented CWE method has been proven to keep your liver safe from nasty APAP toxicity. :D
 
^ It wasn't low enough for that, he just said that I should make sure I am eating plenty of meat and dairy products and to do some research of my own into what are good sources of it. He said that I shouldn't need an injection, but if the levels stay low over the next three months then I may have an absorption problem. My shrink wasn't too concerned, but he did say that B12 deficiency can cause mania and psychosis, both things I have suffered from and so it's probably a good idea I try and keep my levels of it up. :)
 
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