Acetaminophen, do you use the word "right"?

Clinical pharmacist Xiao Zhang was browsing her Moments when she suddenly saw her friend Xiao Zhou post a Moments post [Add Moments screenshot, the picture contains both Tylenol and acetaminophen tablets], so they started the following conversation

Xiao Zhang: "Xiao Zhou, have you taken all the medicines in the photos on your Moments?"

Xiao Zhou: "No, this time the cold is a bit serious, the fever is up to 38 degrees, it's too troublesome to go to the hospital, so I bought some medicine myself. But I just prepared it and haven't taken it yet~"

Xiao Zhang: "It's OK, it's OK. Don't take the above medicines at the same time!"

Xiao Zhou: "Why? Isn't acetaminophen very safe?"

Xiao Zhang: "Oh, let me explain it to you..."

Acetaminophen is the most commonly used antipyretic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory drug. Many people unilaterally believe that this drug is too safe, has a mild effect, is cheap and easy to obtain, and if one tablet is not enough, they take two, or even three or four tablets at a time. Some people take it once every 1 to 2 hours, even though it should be taken every 4 hours. Little do they know that the therapeutic dose range of this drug is narrow, and toxicity may occur if the recommended dose is exceeded.

Let us understand today how to use acetaminophen “correctly”?

1. Use acetaminophen when needed, that is, take 1 tablet when the patient has a high fever (i.e., body temperature > 38.5℃); must be taken strictly according to the recommended dosage. Adults take 0.5g each time, not more than 2g per day. Antipyretic treatment should not exceed 3 days, and analgesic medication should not exceed 10 days. Children should take 10-15mg/kg once according to body weight, once every 4-6 hours, and the 24-hour dosage should not exceed 80mg/kg. The course of treatment should not exceed 5 days.

2. There must be an interval of more than 8 hours between two doses of medication to avoid repeated medication within a short period of time, which may cause overdose;

3. The tablet should be taken as a whole and should not be crushed or dissolved before taking;

4. Do not drink alcohol or beverages containing alcohol during medication; excessive drinking can induce liver CYP, and alcohol has a competitive inhibitory effect on the metabolism of acetaminophen. In addition, long-term drinking of acetaminophen in patients with long-term use of acetaminophen can increase the risk of hepatotoxicity.

5. After taking the medicine, you may experience increased sweating, so you should drink plenty of water during the medication period;

6. Avoid repeated use of medication. There are many compound antipyretic and analgesic drugs on the market. Before use, read the instructions carefully to confirm the ingredients contained to avoid repeated use of medication that may cause liver damage.

Common Western medicines include: phenoxyethanol, phenoxyethanol, acetaminophen tablets (day tablets), acetaminophen tablets (night tablets), phenoxyethanol, phenoxyethanol, compound acetaminophen, acetaminophen tablets

Common Chinese patent medicines include Vitamin C Yinqiao Tablets, Yinju Jiedu Tablets, Ganmaoling Capsules, Suganning Capsules, Qiangli Ganmao Tablets (Strong-Effective Tablets), Kangganling Tablets, Refined Yinqiao Jiedu Tablets, Compound Children's Antipyretic Suppositories, Ganmaoqing Tablets (Capsules), Compound Ganmaoling Tablets (Granules), Ganmaoling Capsules, Ganmaoan Tablets, and Guanfang Ganmao Tablets.

When buying cold medicine, you should also pay attention to the ingredients of the medicine, especially when the medicine name contains "phenol" and "ammonia", you should be vigilant.