Pharmacist issues 'liver damage' cold and flu paracetamol medicine warning

Detailed summary

Pharmacist warns Brits to carry out a 30-second winter medicine check before taking medication

As health officials warn of an early flu season, a leading pharmacist is urging Brits to perform a simple 30-second check before taking cold and flu remedies that contain paracetamol. It comes as public health agencies confirm that influenza began circulating significantly earlier than usual this autumn, in both the UK and the US.

Girish Desai, Chief Pharmacist at Landys Chemist, warned that checking product brand names rather than active ingredients can lead people to unknowingly combine remedies that contain the same active ingredient, such as paracetamol. This mistake risks accidental overdoses and liver damage.

Girish Desai said: "A common winter medicine mistake is checking the brand name instead of the active ingredients. Two products with completely different packaging can contain the same paracetamol, decongestant or sedating antihistamine.

"Paracetamol is particularly easy to duplicate because it features in a wide range of products, including sachets, day-and-night remedies and separate painkillers. Taking multiple products containing the same ingredient can lead to accidentally exceeding the recommended daily dose, potentially causing liver damage.

"It’s important to look beyond the product name and check the active ingredients of everything you’re taking. Keep track of each dose throughout the day and always follow the instructions on the packaging."

Taking multiple medications that contain paracetamol, such as combining a standard painkiller with a cold and flu remedy, can easily lead to an accidental overdose and serious liver damage. To prevent toxicity, adults must not exceed the maximum daily limit of 4,000 mg (typically eight 500 mg tablets) within 24 hours and should always wait at least four hours between doses.

Checking the active ingredient labels on all over-the-counter and prescription medicines is essential. Regular alcohol use or existing liver conditions can cause harm at even lower amounts.

If you suspect that you or someone else has taken too…

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