Eleven percent of people commonly exceed the daily limit of eight tablets within a 24-hour period. File photo. Photo: 123RF
Many New Zealanders are unintentionally taking too much paracetamol, a new study has found, prompting calls for warning labels on products containing the drug.
University of Auckland researchers surveyed almost 2000 people about their understanding of paracetamol.
They found that a third commonly took more than the recommended two painkiller tablets at once.
Eleven percent commonly exceeded the daily limit of eight tablets within a 24-hour period.
Senior research fellow Dr Samantha Marsh said the study showed concerning knowledge gaps, such as people believing they should take more than two tablets at a time because they are a 'big person' or need extra pain relief.
"That was common. I even asked my brother, who is 6'5, and he said he takes three Panadol at once because he's bigger. That's actually incorrect and not how it works."
She said paracetamol had a "narrow therapeutic window" and there is a fine line between taking too much and not enough.
"People think paracetamol is safe, which it is, if you take it at the right dose.
"But, because of the way it's broken down by the body, when you take more than the recommended dose, the liver gets overwhelmed and can be seriously damaged."
She also advised against taking paracetamol for 24 hours after consuming alcohol.
She said half of the survey respondents were unaware that paracetamol was in common cold and flu products, like Lemsip or Codral.
"What we found was that for Lemsip, only 49 percent of people recognised that it contains paracetamol. So people are taking Lemsip and a dose of paracetamol together when they are sick, not knowing they are actually exceeding the dosage guidelines."
She said half also did not identify paracetamol in formulations with different drugs in them.
Marsh would like to see stickers on the front of such products with a warning - "Do not take with Paracetamol" or "Contains Paracetamol".
She said that when a doctor prescribes paracetamol or when it is bought at a Pharmacy, people should be reminded of the appropriate dosage.
Two-thirds of respondents said their doctors and pharmacists had never spoken to them about the dangers of taking too much paracetamol.
The survey was based on a sample of 1723 people broadly representing the makeup of the New Zealand population.
With measles cases on the rise in New Zealand, she acknowledged parents might be reaching for paracetamol, often as Pamol, for their children.
Marsh, who is also a parent, suggested writing down what medicine a child had been given when they are sick.
"When a child is very unwell, it's easy for tired or stressed parents to lose track of doses, particularly in the middle of the night, so keeping a written record can help prevent harm.
"If you have parents in and out of the house, one might give a kid paracetamol without the other parent knowing.
"What I do is write down the time they would be safe to have another dose, where the other parent can see."
She said it was important for parents dosing Pamol to carefully follow the dosage guidelines on the bottle.
People could visit Healthify for more information on how to take paracetamol safely.
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