A PHARMACIST has issued a warning about the world’s most used painkiller paracetamol, warning it could be “quietly harming” your liver.
The pill is safe to take for headaches, muscle pain and fever, as long as you’re sticking to recommended amounts.
Exceeding recommended doses of paracetamol could lead to liver damage[/caption]
But “taking too much – even slightly exceeding the recommended dose – can be extremely dangerous for your liver”, warned Dipa Kamdar, a senior lecturer in pharmacy practice at Kingston University.
It’s easy to assume that alcohol is the main culprit of liver damage.
“In fact, many everyday habits, often overlooked, can slowly cause damage that may eventually lead to serious conditions such as cirrhosis – permanent scarring of the liver – or liver failure,” the pharmacist wrote in The Conversation.
This can include eating foods high in saturated fat or sugar, as well as smoking or not exercising enough – as well as taking too much paracetamol.
“Despite its remarkable resilience – and even its ability to regenerate – the liver is not indestructible,” Dipa said.
“One of the challenges with liver disease is that it can be a silent threat. In its early stages, it may cause only vague symptoms like constant fatigue or nausea.
“As damage progresses, more obvious signs may emerge. One of the most recognisable is jaundice, where the skin and the whites of the eyes turn yellow.”
Liver disease kills more than 11,000 people in the UK each year, according to The British Liver Trust.
That amounts to more than 31 deaths a day, the charity said.
It warned that liver disease deaths in the UK have quadrupled in the last 50 years, at the same time as deaths from other major diseases have fallen.
Dipa explained paracetamol could be dangerous to the liver due to the way the organ processes the painkiller.
As it breaks down the drug, it produces a toxic by-product called NAPQI.
Normally, the body neutralises this by producing a protective substance known as glutathione.
But in high doses, the liver can become overwhelmed, potentially leading to potentially life-threatening damage.
“In an overdose, glutathione stores become depleted, allowing NAPQI to accumulate and attack liver cells,” Dipa warned.
“This can result in acute liver failure, which can be fatal.
“Even small overdoses, or combining paracetamol with alcohol, can increase the risk of serious harm,” the pharmacist went on.
“Always stick to the recommended dose and speak to a doctor if you find yourself needing pain relief regularly.”
Studies have looked into the potential dangers of taking paracetamol.
Research published in 2013 showed a link between liver failure and low doses of paracetamol.
As Andrew Moore, an honorary senior research fellow at the University of Oxford, wrote in The Conversation: “Paracetamol is known to cause liver failure in overdose, but it also causes liver failure in people taking standard doses for pain relief.
“The risk is only about one in a million, but it is a risk.”
Other habits damaging your liver
Dipa shared other habits that may be silently damaging your liver.
Drinking too much alcohol is the obvious one.
When you drink, your liver works to break down the alcohol and clear it from your system, but having too much of it at once overwhelms this process and causes toxic by products to build up and damage liver cells.
This can cause fat to accumulate in the liver and continued drinking can progress it to alcoholic hepatitis and then cirrhosis.
Experts recommend sticking to no more than 14 units of alcohol per week, and including alcohol-free days to give your liver time to recover.
It’s also worth taking a look at your diet to protect your liver, as foods high in saturated fat – like red meat, fried foods and processed snacks – can raise cholesterol levels and contribute to liver fat accumulation.
Symptoms of liver disease
Most types of liver disease do not cause any symptoms in the early stages.
Once you start to get symptoms of liver disease, your liver is already damaged and scarred. This is known as cirrhosis.
Symptoms of cirrhosis include:
- Feeling very tired and weak all the time
- Loss of appetite – which may lead to weight loss
- Loss of sex drive (libido)
- Yellow skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)
- Itchy skin
- Feeling or being sick
Source: NHS
Sugary foods and drinks are also a major risk factor, the pharmacist said.
Not exercising enough can contribute to weight gain, which ups the risk of liver disease.
But exercising can benefit your liver even in you don’t lose weight, Dipa noted.
Finally, the chemicals from cigarette smoke can make your liver work harder and contribute to cirrhosis.
The British Liver Trust says 90 per cent of liver disease cases can be prevented by lifestyle changes.
“You can protect [your liver] by drinking alcohol in moderation, quitting smoking, taking medications responsibly, eating a balanced diet, staying active and keeping hydrated,” Dipa said.
