Adverse Effects
In recommended doses, the side effects of paracetamol are mild to non-existent. In contrast to aspirin, it is not an antithrombotic, and thus may be used in patients where coagulation is a concern, and it does not cause gastric irritation. However, paracetamol does not help reduce inflammation, while aspirin does. Compared to ibuprofen—whose side effects may include diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain—paracetamol has fewer adverse gastrointestinal effects. Prolonged daily use increases the risk of upper gastrointestinal complications such as stomach bleeding, and may cause kidney or liver damage. Paracetamol is metabolized by the liver and is hepatotoxic; side effects may be more likely in chronic alcoholics or patients with liver damage.
Until 2010, paracetamol was believed safe in pregnancy (as it does not affect the closure of the fetal ductus arteriosus as NSAIDs can). However, in a study published in October 2010 it has been linked to infertility in the adult life of the unborn. Unlike aspirin, it is safe for children, as paracetamol is not associated with a risk of Reye's syndrome in children with viral illnesses. In one study, paracetamol use for fever in the first year of life was associated with a moderate increase in the incidence of asthmatic symptoms at 6–7 years, and that paracetamol use, both in the first year of life and in children aged 6–7 years, was associated with a moderate increased incidence of rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema.
Chronic users of paracetamol may have a higher risk of developing blood cancer.
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