Paracetamol: what helps, instructions for use for children and adults, release form

Elevated body temperature often becomes the precursor of a wide variety of diseases. Regardless of the cause of this phenomenon, if the thermometer is too high, it is urgent to take measures to reduce heat. And here comes the quick-acting Paracetamol. What it consists of, whether it is possible for everyone to use the medicine without fear, how to do it correctly, from which Paracetamol helps - from the article you can find answers to all questions.

The composition and form of release of the drug

A popular antipyretic drug has several forms for ease of use in a given situation. But in all cases, the analgesic paracetamol acts as the active substance.

It is the main component present in such drugs, only the percentage of paracetamol is different, so you can use the drug with different intensity of symptoms, given the age criteria.

Each of the forms has auxiliary substances that extend the shelf life of the drug, improve its taste and structure for ease of use.

1. The most common option is pills.They do not require special conditions and preparation for use, they can be easily drunk anywhere, they take up little space in your purse (to carry with you if necessary). Pharmaceutical companies offer drugs in such a convenient form with a content of 200, 250 or 325 mg of active ingredient, there are also soluble pills with a dosage of 500 mg. White bulging pills have starch, gelatin, povidone, milk sugar and calcium stearate as additional components. Tablets are packed in 10 or 20 pieces per box.
2. Rectal suppositories are the fastest form. Rectal administration contributes to the fact that the active substance is rapidly absorbed into the blood from the rectum, providing the necessary effect in a short time. Most often, white suppositories are used to treat young children. There are several options for suppositories with different dosages of the active substance: 80, 170, 300 mg, 500 or 1000 mg. Solid fats are auxiliary components, with their help the drug appears optimal consistency for rectal administration. Packaging contains 5 or 10 candles.
3. Transparent syrup with raspberry flavor is a convenient form of the drug for small patients. Flavors and sucrose give a pleasant taste, thanks to which children are happy to drink an effective medicine. In a 100-milliliter vial contains 2.4 mg of active ingredient, purified water, ethyl alcohol, citric acid and riboflavin. A 50 ml bottle contains 2 times less paracetamol, observing this percentage. Along with glass bottles in the package there is a dispensing spoon.
4. The form of the suspension differs from the syrup in the absence of sugar. The percentage of active substance is the same - 2.4%. Additionally, the suspension has a strawberry flavor, ethyl alcohol, water, citric acid and pink dye in the composition. The drug is packaged in dark bottles of 100 or 200 ml.

The doctor chooses the drug that is suitable in the form for the given situation, based on the degree of symptoms, age, as well as the individual characteristics of the patient.

Pharmacological action and pharmacodynamics

The analgesic and antipyretic effect of the drug is due to the action of its main component. The substance paracetamol has a high penetration rate into the body, which allows it to exert a complex effect in a short time, improving the human condition.

A drug:

• knocks down fever;
• eliminates pain of different localization and genesis;
• reduces the development of inflammation.

This effect is due to the special mechanism of action of the active substance on pain receptors in the brain. The phenacetin derivative also directly affects the temperature regulation of the body, thereby quickly eliminating heat.

The structure of the drug helps paracetamol to instantly penetrate into the tissues and circulatory system from the digestive system. It begins to act already half an hour after use. The maximum concentration of the drug is observed after 1 - 1.5 hours after taking the drug.

In the liver, after 2 to 3 hours, paracetamol is metabolized, it breaks down into two structural components and is excreted in the urine. Only 5 - 7% leaves the body unchanged.

The withdrawal process is very fast - after 4 hours, there is no trace of paracetamol in the body.

What Paracetamol helps

Since the symptoms that the drug can effectively eliminate are observed in many diseases, the drug has a wide range of uses.

After all, pain and, especially, fever accompany most inflammatory processes in the body, are their main signs. Therefore, many diseases and conditions are called indications.

So, the drug is used both as a means to relieve pain, and as part of the complex treatment of more severe inflammatory processes.

Among them:

• Strong headache;
• inflammation of the infectious genesis, accompanied by fever (flu, measles, tonsillitis, otitis media, chickenpox, other diseases);
• myalgia, characterized by muscle spasms;
• inflammation of the oral cavity (stomatitis), toothache;
• aches in bones, joints;
• post-vaccination complications (used to prevent the occurrence of allergic reactions after vaccine administration);
• pain at the site of damage to nerve endings;
• injuries, bruises of various origins;
• dysmenorrhea (menstrual pain);
• pain after burns, cuts;
• acute liver failure.

The drug eliminates or reduces the intensity of unpleasant symptoms of the disease, but does not struggle with their cause.

Therefore, if fever or pain is observed for more than three days, it is necessary to conduct a diagnosis to prescribe a more effective treatment.

At what age can children be given

The drug is characterized by relative safety for the body, because it is quickly and fully excreted from the body. Therefore, from 3 months of age, Paracetamol can be used to treat small patients.

But only children at this age are difficult to make to take bitter pills. You can crush them into powder and mix with a sweet liquid or food. But still, there is a high probability that the baby will not swallow the necessary dose, and some will spit out.

Therefore, children under 3 years old should give the drug in the form of:

• suppositories that are easily inserted into the rectum and act quickly;
• sweet syrup, pleasant to the taste, so the kids drink it with pleasure.

How long does the antipyretic drug begin to act?

The absorption rate of the drug is very high. Suppositories are characterized by the fastest action, penetrating through the walls of the intestine into the circulatory system. The effect is observed 20 minutes after the introduction of the suppository into the rectum.

Pills, syrup, and suspension are absorbed into the tissue and bloodstream and along the way to the stomach, digestive tract, and stomach. Reducing pain and heat begins 30 minutes after using the product in this form.

The maximum effect occurs after an hour and a half. Its duration depends on the degree of pain and the severity of the disease that causes the fever.

Instructions for use Paracetamol for adults and children

To achieve the desired effect from the use of the drug, you must follow the doctor's recommendations regarding the dosage and course of treatment. Deviations from this scheme threaten dangerous consequences in the form of complications of an existing disease or the appearance of new pathologies.

Suspension, paracetamol syrup for children

These forms of medication are suitable for the smallest patients. Kids can be given a sweet medicine without much difficulty.

It is only important to carefully calculate the amount that directly depends on the weight of the child. The dosage for a day is 10 to 12 mg of active substance per kilogram of body. This amount of syrup or suspension should be given to the child in 3 to 4 doses.

In one teaspoon (5 ml) of paracetamol baby syrup - 120 mg. You can count it this way, or you can use a convenient measuring spoon, which is enclosed in the package along with the medicine.

The instruction indicates the following dosage schedule:

• babies 3 - 12 months - ½ - 1 teaspoon (2.5 - 5 ml) throughout the day;
• children 1 year - 5 years - 1 - 2 teaspoons (5 - 10 ml), divided for the whole day;
• patients 6-12 years old - 2-4 teaspoons (10-20 ml) per day;
• adolescents from 13 years old - adults - 4-8 teaspoons (20-40 ml of syrup) - daily dose.

The interval between doses should not be shorter than 4 hours, even if the antipyretic effect weakens. The duration of the use of syrup is a maximum of 3 days.

Paracetamol Pills

For faster absorption, pills should be taken after meals, when 1.5 - 2 hours have passed. The tablets do not need to be chewed, but swallowed whole with plenty of liquid.

The standard scheme and dosage of the drug look like this:

• from 3 to 6 years - 250 mg 3-4 times a day;
• from 7 to 9 years - 350 mg 3-4 times a day;
• from 10 to 12 years - 500 mg 3 to 4 doses per day;
• age after 12 years - from 600 to 1000 mg 3-4 times a day.

The next tablet can be taken only if at least 4 hours have passed after the previous dose. Therapy cannot last longer than five days. If the drug does not help, be sure to call the doctors.

Rectal suppositories for adults and children

Depending on the percentage of the active drug, suppositories have a child and adult dosage. Therefore, the instructions indicate the right amount of paracetamol, not suppositories. The correct dose depends on which suppositories you want to enter.

For adults, “Paracetamol" in this form is usually used for problems with the digestive tract or the inability to take pills. But for kids, this method often becomes the only possible option to quickly bring down the fever.

How to take the drug:

• babies 6 to 12 months - 50 to 100 mg 3-4 times a day;
• children 1 to 3 years old - 100 to 150 mg 3 to 4 doses per day;
• patients 3 to 5 years old - 150 to 200 mg 3-4 times a day;
• children 5 to 10 years old - 250 to 350 mg no more than four times a day;
• adolescents 10-12 years old - 350-500 mg 3-4 times a day;
• children over 12 years old and adults - 500-1000 mg 3-4 times a day.

It is important not to continue treatment with the drug for longer than three days. Otherwise, unwanted side effects may occur.

During pregnancy and lactation

The gestation period requires special treatment for all medications. But a pregnant woman is often exposed to negative environmental influences, in addition, having a weakened immune system, bearing a child can easily catch some kind of infection.

Among the drugs that quickly and at the same time safely act on fever and pain of various origins, Paracetamol is considered the most optimal option. Of course, it’s not worth making a decision on its use on your own, you need to consult a doctor who can objectively assess the degree of risk and benefit of the medicine.

The active substance crosses the placenta, so some experts believe that the drug should not be taken in the first trimester of pregnancy. But scientific evidence for the harmful effects of the drug on the fetus does not exist. Therefore, in small doses, he is able to have an antipyretic effect, relieve headache, which will help the future mother feel much easier.

A woman who is breastfeeding her baby should also consult a doctor about the possibility of using the drug.

Paracetamol passes into breast milk in an amount of 1 percent of the entire dose taken by the mother, because the rest is quickly excreted. If you drink tablets after feeding, then an even lower concentration of the substance in milk is possible, which means that it is more safe for the baby.

In addition, the high temperature in the mother causes much more serious problems with lactation and the risk of transmitting the disease to the baby.

Drug interaction

To maximize the effect of taking the drug, you must follow the rules for combining different medications.

1. "Paracetamol" in combination with salicylic acid, caffeine, antispasmodic drugs, indirect coagulants and codeine enhances the effect of the latter.
2. Anticonvulsants, barbiturates, isoniazid and activated charcoal are poorly combined with the drug in question, they reduce its effectiveness and increase unpleasant consequences.
3. Medicines containing ethyl alcohol, combined with paracetamol, have a negative effect on the liver and pancreas.

Paracetamol: contraindications, side effects and overdose

Although the drug is relatively rapidly excreted from the body, but during this period it can cause intoxication. This happens very rarely with proper use and compliance with the dosage.

Signs of the toxic effects of Paracetamol:

• digestive disorders, loose stools, nausea;
• pain in the stomach;
• allergic rashes, edema;
• general weakness, drowsiness;
• dizziness;
• insomnia;
• arrhythmia, tachycardia.

In order to ensure safety, people from the following category should use other drugs to reduce fever or relieve pain of various origins.

Contraindications are:

• hypersensitivity to the components;
• age up to 3 months;
• decreased quality of kidney function;
• viral hepatitis;
• elevated plasma potassium levels;
• asthma;
• liver failure;
• stomach ulcer, duodenal ulcer;
• chronic alcoholism;
• internal bleeding;
• the period after coronary artery surgery;
• bypass surgery;
• elderly age.

An increase in the recommended dose (already by 10 - 20 g) threatens the development of severe complications.

Overdose Signs:

• pallor of the skin;
• epigastric pain;
• the urge to vomit;
• lack of appetite;
• bleeding in the stomach, intestines;
• liver necrosis;
• convulsions, coma - in especially dangerous cases.

An increase in the duration of symptomatic therapy entails more serious complications.

Particularly heavy load gets the liver and kidneys. They may not sustain, reduce their functionality or even fail.

Analogues of an antipyretic drug

Among the synonyms of the drug can be called medicines of other manufacturers with paracetamol in the composition.

• "Panadol" is available in the UK in the form of conventional and effervescent tablets, as well as in suspension;
• French-made Efferalgan is presented in effervescent soluble tablets;
• Children's "Panadol" - rectal suppositories for small patients;
• Perfalgan is an American-made injection solution.

There are many medicines with antipyretic and analgesic effects. They contain other active substances, which allows the doctor to choose the drug in case of impossibility to use "Paracetamol".

Among them:

• Nurofen
• "Has";
• "Spazmalgol";
• Tempalgin;
• "Analgin";
• "Tsefekon N";
• Streamol;
• "Nimesil";
• Viferon;
• "Mexalen."

The doctor takes into account the individual characteristics of the patient, choosing an antipyretic analogue. It is important to find a tool that can quickly eliminate the unpleasant signs of the disease and at the same time be as safe as possible for the body.