This article was written by Pharmacist Cao Thanh Tu - Vinmec Times City International General Hospital.
Panadol Extra contains paracetamol, an antipyretic and analgesic, and caffeine, an analgesic that enhances the analgesic effect of paracetamol.
1. What is the effect of Panadol Extra?
The drug is recommended for the treatment of most mild to moderate pain and fever, such as Headache, migraine, backache, toothache, joint pain, menstrual cramps, and relief of cold, flu, and sore throat symptoms.
2. Dosage of Panadol Extra for adults and children
Adults (including the elderly) and children 12 years of age and older: take 1 or 2 tablets every 4 to 6 hours as needed. Maximum daily dose: 8 tablets.
This drug is not recommended for children under 12 years of age.
3. How to use Panadol Extra?
For oral use only. Do not exceed the prescribed dose. Panadol Extra can be taken on an empty stomach. The lowest dose necessary for effective treatment should be used for the shortest treatment period. Self-treatment should not exceed 3 days. If symptoms last longer than 3 days or become more severe or other symptoms appear, do not continue to use the medicine unless directed by a doctor.
People with liver or kidney disease, chronic alcoholism, excessive alcohol consumption, or a history of alcoholism should consult a doctor before using. Do not drink alcohol or alcoholic beverages while taking the medicine because alcohol can increase the toxicity of the medicine to the liver and kidneys.
Some people may be allergic to the medicine. Therefore, when detecting the first signs of skin rash or any other signs of hypersensitivity reaction, the patient must stop using the drug. People who have had serious skin reactions caused by paracetamol should not use the drug again and when going to see a doctor, they should inform the medical staff about this issue.
Do not use other drugs containing paracetamol at the same time because it can lead to overdose. Using more than the recommended dose can cause liver and kidney toxicity with symptoms such as dark urine, clay-colored stools, yellow skin, yellow eyes, and more dangerously, can lead to death.
Symptoms of overdose: Symptoms of poisoning usually appear within the first 24 hours, including nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, pale skin, discomfort, and sweating. Overdose can lead to complete and irreversible liver necrosis.
There are many drugs containing paracetamol on the market today, so be careful when combining Panadol Extra with other drugs to avoid overdose, especially pain relievers, and drugs to treat cough and cold symptoms.
Avoid using too much caffeine (eg from coffee, tea, and some other canned drinks) while taking this drug. When taking the recommended dose of paracetamol-caffeine along with a diet high in caffeine, it will cause side effects due to caffeine overdose such as insomnia, restlessness, anxiety, irritability, headache, digestive disorders, and nervousness.
4. Side effects when using Panadol Extra
In general, the drug is safe when used at the recommended dose. Some people may experience the following side effects: dizziness, headache, constipation, insomnia, restlessness, anxiety, and digestive disorders.
Some more serious but very rare side effects are thrombocytopenia, hypersensitivity reactions including Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, bronchospasm in patients sensitive to aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, diclofenac, meloxicam..., liver and kidney failure (especially when used in high doses for a long time).
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