taking analgesics to avoid overdose?

[Fattoo]

Most practioners in my country advise patients tto alternate ibuprofen with paracetamol in severe fever. The reason for that is to avoid taking over-dose of paracetamol. I search medline.com for more info. I did not find any beneficial effect of that action. In my opinion, it can prevent you from taking more than 4g of paracetamol daily. So, what is your opinion?

[Jeff]

Re: taking analgesics to avoid overdose?

Most practioners in my country advise patients tto alternate ibuprofen with paracetamol in severe fever. The reason for that is to avoid taking over-dose of paracetamol. I search medline.com for more info. I did not find any beneficial effect of that action. In my opinion, it can prevent you from taking more than 4g of paracetamol daily. So, what is your opinion?

http://www.prodigy.nhs.uk/qrg/parace...n_children.pdf

NHS Direct - Common health questions - Can I take paracetamol and ibuprofen together?

http://ebn.bmj.com/cgi/reprint/8/1/10.pdf

http://www.druginfozone.nhs.uk/Recor...aspx?id=527244

Is alternating paracetamol and ibuprofen safer and more effective than using either agent alone (monotherapy) in treating children with fever? : NLH Question Answering Service

Hope these help - though most relate to children.

I suspect that the real answer is more to do with your population differences than with pharmacology. Why not just use ibuprofen as first choice and avoid all chance of a paracetamol overdose?

Jeff