Paracetamol only on prescription?

Paracetamol may only be on prescription?

22/10/2014

Paracetamol is probably one of the best-known painkillers worldwide. In Germany, it is cheap and can be obtained without a prescription and may also be taken during pregnancy. But new research now suggests rare, serious side effects. Experts have long been demanding a prescription requirement for the drug.

Cheap and without a prescription
Headache, toothache, fever: Paracetamol is frequently used in numerous complaints. 50 million packs are sold. In Germany, it is cheap and can be obtained without medical prescription and may also be taken during pregnancy. However, Kay Brune, a pharmacologist at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, warns that the drug should not be handled too carelessly. He has been campaigning for years for paracetamol to be prescriptive, such as „Mirror online“ reported. Brune and his colleagues from the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf have now compiled new research results in an analysis.

Pack size has been limited for years
It has long been known that the drug can increase the risk of stomach ulcers, heart attack and stroke at too high doses. A few years ago the paracetamol package size had been limited because overdosing may lead to liver failure. However, from the point of view of Brune, this is not enough: as the article says, he continues to regard the matter of course with which the analgesic is taken as highly questionable. The study authors, their results in the journal „European Journal of Pain“ In their analysis, the question was asked as to what side effects paracetamol has in the recommended amounts of no more than four grams a day.

Behavioral or ADHD-related children
According to a survey of 64,322 Danish mothers and their children born between 1996 and 2002, women who regularly take acetaminophen during pregnancy have more children with behavioral or ADHD (attention deficit syndrome) symptoms. However, the study does not prove that acetaminophen is actually responsible for this increased risk. Similar results were found in a Norwegian study with 48,631 children: they were diagnosed with hyperactivity and worse overall motor development and impaired communication behavior if their mothers had been taking acetaminophen for a longer period of time.

Evidence of various serious diseases
„Mirror online“ There are also indications that "Paracetamol can induce undescended testes in neonates, which impairs fertility and increases the risk of testicular cancer". It also suggests that "unborn babies exposed to paracetamol may be at increased risk for asthma". However, according to the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), there is no evidence for this. Nevertheless, some doctors take this very seriously and instead recommend the painkiller ibuprofen, although it should be noted that even this remedy should not be taken in the last trimester of pregnancy. Brune criticized: „The certainty with which medicine still regards acetaminophen as well tolerated and harmless is not scientifically substantiated.“

Avoid medication during pregnancy as much as possible
As the report goes on to say, the BfArM now seems more cautious. For example, since February of this year, the agency has pointed out that paracetamol rarely causes severe skin reactions, whereas in a 2012 bulletin the institute confined itself primarily to warning of overdoses and otherwise classifying paracetamol as largely safe. According to the spokesman Maik Pommer: „The BfArM recommends that acetaminophen should only be used at the lowest effective dose and for the shortest period of time required.“ And further: „In pregnancy, acetaminophen should be used only in case of urgent need.“

Health risk due to over-the-counter painkillers
Although current research is focused on paracetamol, it should not be overlooked that other over-the-counter painkillers pose a health risk. Many people think that these remedies are harmless remedies. It is estimated that 3.8 million Germans swallow analgesics each year. Often, the pills are taken without knowing how the preparations work or when their use is useful. In addition, all over-the-counter pain relievers should not be taken for more than three days in a row and not more than ten times a month, as experts point out. Some doctors also recommend that you never take simple painkillers without medical advice. (Ad)