Here is a statement from NAFDAC informing Nigerians on the dangers of prolonged use of Paracetamol
The National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)
and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said that
the regular use of painkillers especially, paracetamols could lead to
heart attacks, stroke and early death,
According to a study published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
journal, patients prescribed high doses of the painkiller for long
periods were 63% more likely to die unexpectedly.
There is also a 68% higher chance of having a heart attack or stroke and
an almost 50% greater chance of having a stomach ulcer or bleed.
Generally, Paracetamol is considered by doctors to be
safer than Aspirin, which can cause stomach bleeds, and ibuprofen,
which has also been linked to heart attacks and strokes.
But in 2013, NAFDAC and the United States Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) had alerted Nigerians that Paracetamol had been associated with
risk of rare but serious skin reactions known as Stevens-Johnson
Syndrome (SJS), Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN), and Acute Generalised
Exanthematous Pustulosis (AGEP) which can be fatal.
To this end, NAFDAC encouraged patients to report such cases to their
health care provider, who will channel the complaint to the National
Pharmacovigilance Centre, even as British researchers say the risks may
have been underestimated and are calling for a major review to be
conducted into the drug’s safety.
Meanwhile, Philip Conaghan who led an extensive research conducted on
patients who took Paracetamol daily observing its effects advised that
patients being prescribed the drugs for long periods for arthritis or
muscle and joint pain should talk to their doctors about alternative
treatments, such as exercise.
0 comments:
Post a Comment