[Nick HeyRee]

Paracetamol kills mother who took a 'few extra’ pills a day

[sunnykerr]

Desiree Phillips, a young mother who took “a few extra” paracetamol tablets to relieve the pain of a minor operation died after suffering irreversible liver damage. The death of Desiree Phillips, 20, follows studies showing that “staggered overdoses” of paracetamol over the course of a few days can be more dangerous than a single, massive overdose. Miss Phillips, of Llanelli, South Wales, had a routine procedure to remove several benign lumps on her breast earlier this year. Doctors prescribed antibiotics and over-the-counter paracetamol to help her cope with the discomfort. Nine days after the operation, she was taken to hospital in excruciating pain and diagnosed with liver failure. She underwent a liver transplant but died a week later at Birmingham Queen Elizabeth hospital. Her father, Des, said he believed his daughter had been taking only “a few extra tablets” than the recommended dose of eight every 24 hours. “She seemed fine to us, then out of the blue her boyfriend found her stretched out on the sofa and he rang an ambulance. The whole thing came as a terrible shock. When we heard she was in hospital we never expected that she might die. “People don’t realise – they think an extra two won’t harm, that extra two over a period of time can harm your liver if you keep taking that over two to three weeks,” said Mr Phillips. Last month research published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology found that taking just a few extra paracetamol tablets a day can be fatal. The study of 663 patients with paracetamol-induced liver injury found that those who took “staggered overdoses” over the course of several days were a third more likely to die than those who took a single overdose of pills. Dr Kenneth Simpson, of the University of Edinburgh, who led the research, said: “Those who’ve taken a staggered overdose do worse, paradoxically, than the people who’ve tried to kill themselves.” Although an inquest is yet to be held into Miss Phillips’s death, her family has spoken out in the hope of preventing similar tragedies. Mr Phillips , a chef, said: “If a painkiller is that dangerous, it should be prescribed. You should not be able to buy them over the counter. Cigarettes have a label saying 'smoking kills’. Paracetamol can be fatal, but when you look at the packets, they don’t look dangerous.” Miss Phillips’s one-year-old son, Jayden, is now being cared for by his father, Simon Dewi-Jones. Mr Phillips added: “It was awful, in the end she couldn’t even give him a cuddle goodbye. He’s too young to know what happened now, but I’m sure it will be something that affects him in the future.” Miss Phillips’s mother, Ayshea, 38, said: “Desiree was taking painkillers because she had three lumps removed from her breast and she was in pain. She didn’t know what was going to happen. Jayden doesn’t deserve to be growing up without a mum because of this.” A spokesman for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said: “Paracetamol is a safe and effective painkiller for a range of conditions when used correctly and when the dosage recommendations are followed.”

And this would be why I stick to ibuprofen and naproxen, if it gets to be really, really bad.

It's obviously not about blaming this poor girl for doing something we would have all possibly done in her situation, but I would hope we learn from her tragic death.

[Avatar]

Ibuprofen isn't safe either, though: The Effect Of Ibuprofen On The Liver | LIVESTRONG.COM

So what you take out of this is: Follow the stated dosages - they are there for a reason.

[TheAngel]

Yeah, I'm afraid with the internet and google, everyone thinks they're a doctor, or they think that doctors don't know anything. My mom went to school for eight years to be a nurse for a reason. She knows the correct dosages for medication and even then, she double checks her facts and figures. I hate taking medication. I was in a car accident a week ago, I have a fractured bone in my foot, a bruised knee cap, and assorted other fun stuff and I've taken eight advil this whole time for that very reason. It scares me what medication can do. But, that being said, if a doctor gives me a prescription for an antibiotic, I follow exactly what the bottle says.

I have to believe, though, that she was taking a lot more than the required dosage and not just "a few more pills" or she had a pre-existing condition, since doctors regularly prescribe acetaminophen in larger doses than the OTC dose that she was supposedly taking.

[sunnykerr]

Kinda what I meant about my ibuprofen comment.

Of course, in and of itself, it's not safe. You can absolutely overdose on it and, over time, even if you take it cautiously, it can do real damage not just to your liver (although...) but also to your stomach lining.

I should know, I just watched my mother go through that.

However, ibuprofen is not as strong as most pain medications your doctor will prescribed and, when taken judiciously (by which I mean no more than four a day, taken while eating something else, and over a short period of time overall), I believe it is a safer alternative than over-the-counter stuff of which one takes "just a few more" every so often.

[Barstool Prophet]

Canadian Blood Services is asking for help this holiday season. The organization hopes to ship about 70,000 units of blood to hospitals across Canada this month. Right now, it's about 5,000 donations short. Canadian Blood Services is now asking people to roll up their sleeves for a gift it says will make a difference to hospital patients across the country. Nearly 50 units of blood were needed to save Malorie Butler's life. (CBC ) A gift that 24-year-old Malorie Butler needed less than two years ago. “If there was no blood when I needed it, I wouldn't be here,” she said. Butler almost died when she was severely injured in a car crash along a stretch of highway in Nova Scotia. It took nearly 50 units of blood to save her life. “I think there's an assumption that it’s just going to be there, there’s an assumption that if you need it, you will have it, and that's not the case," she said. "If you don't donate, if people don't donate, there's no blood." It took three blood transfusions and five weeks for Butler to recover and like many Canadians she didn't realize how important it is to donate blood. “A doctor came up to me and said that it was the equivalent of three oil changes and that kind of ... put it into perspective a little bit for me," she said. As she puts the final touches on her Christmas preparations, Butler says her one wish this holiday season is for Canadians to give the gift of blood and help save a life. Donations needed by Jan. 2 Judy Jones, manager of Donor Services in Calgary, said people sometimes forget to donate blood during the holidays because they have different priorities. “Being with friends and family, and trying to get into the malls and get their shopping done, so of course it’s not top of mind,” she said. Canadians are being asked to roll up their sleeves between now and Jan. 2. The appointment usually takes an hour. Calgary manager Judy Jones said many blood donor clinics are open during the holidays. (CBC) Between the 41 permanent locations in major cities across the country, and the hundreds of mobile clinics in operation, there are over 20,000 blood donor clinics per year. Blood donors can donate every 56 days. “If people came in three times a year, if almost every Canadian did that, we would have consistent number of blood donations needed for the patients in the hospitals,” said Jones. It's why many blood donor clinics are open during the holidays. While the numbers may be few in one Calgary clinic, these donors understand the need for blood is great. "I have friends whose parents have been sick, you know, my aunt had breast cancer," said Emily Joyce. Sam Frifer agrees the need for blood is always there. "I had a friend of mine back home in Morocco who needed blood, couldn't find any. He had to buy some, so I don't want anybody to go through that hassle," he said.

Canadian Blood Services needs holiday donations - Calgary - CBC News

I donated this week. I do it routinely. How about you guys?

[sunnykerr]

I don't.

The only places I know are only opened during the weekday, so I'm obviously at work. And, when they do a special "session" near work, the close it down before the end of my day.

I can't go over lunch (I would) because I have low blood pressure and giving blood always knocks me off my feet.

So it's something I definitely want to do, but there are major kinks that need working out because that can happen.

[_vega_]

I haven't but I should .

As for paracetamol, I do use it. I used to take acid acitelsalisilic for the pain when I was younger but then moved to paracetamol when I got Dengue Fever (as acitelsalisilic was counter-diagnosed). But I've never taken it regularly unless the doctor prescribes it.

[Avatar]

I should too.

I don't think taking any pills in moderation is a problem, it's when you go over the dosage that the problems can occur.

[Barstool Prophet]

Originally Posted by sunnykerr (View Post) I don't. The only places I know are only opened during the weekday, so I'm obviously at work. And, when they do a special "session" near work, the close it down before the end of my day. I can't go over lunch (I would) because I have low blood pressure and giving blood always knocks me off my feet. So it's something I definitely want to do, but there are major kinks that need working out because that can happen.

They need to offer it during irregular hours so everyone can do it.

[sunnykerr]

Heck, if they could offer opportunities over the weekend or any time after 5 p.m., that would work for me.

[Tomorrow's skies]

The bf and I recently watched the documentary 'Food, Inc' and it was quite good. We'd all ready known or had an idea about a lot of it, but the information on corn was an eye opener.

It really hit home about the foods we've been wanting to buy (organic and humane farming) and now we're adamant about choosing those over the industrial-made stuff whether it's a few dollars more, whatever. Not only is it healthier (there's natural for a reason) but it sends a message about where you want your food to come from and the [industrial] stuff is not worth the hidden costs (mistreatment of animals, pollution, health issues, etc.)

We've been buying more organic foods and feel much healthier all ready.

[Avatar]

Organic foods are way expensive here, and too many people (including me, sadly) think just with their wallets.

[Tomorrow's skies]

They're definitely more expensive here too, but I guess it's still within reason. Then there are some stores that are just more expensive than others.

If we have to cut down what we eat or spend on other things, we're willing to do that. I think it's too important not to.

[sunnykerr]

I'm just not sure what it is that I'm supposed to cut down on.

Don't get me wrong. Normal, non-organic food can be gotten cheaply enough. Organic food, not so much. I think it's fantastic that people can afford to buy organic if they have a moral objection to non-organic food, but sometimes you sorta have to deal with the situation you're in, too.

When I stopped eating meat when I was 14, I started with all meat, full stop. But, I'm allergic to soy and I'm allergic to all nuts (I know there's two kinds, but I'm allergic to both kinds is what I'm saying). After two weeks of living off legumes as my principle source of protein, you could say I started being allergic to those as well. I grew so disgusted that to this day, I still can't stomach legumes. So my mother and I sat down and discussed my nutritional plan. At that time, I lived in the country. We got our poultry from a person we knew. We knew how he raised his chickens. So I was okay with eating chicken. And, every summer, my dad would fly to Nova Scotia and other places and essentially filled this ginormous freezer we had in the basement with fish. So I figured I could eat that as well.

And so I did for the next eight years.

But them I moved away from home. To Montreal. Where there's plenty of grocery stores to be found, but they don't exactly know the guy who raises the chickens and the fish pretty much comes from a merchant. So what am I supposed to do here? No legumes, no soy, no nuts of any kind... how am I supposed to have a balanced diet (one I can actually afford to maintain) without including some kind of meat, even if I can't necessarily vouch for its origins and the humane way in which it was obtained?

I absolutely believe in doing the best we can given our circusmtances and our abilities in order to leave as small a footprint on this world as we can. I truly believe that. I recycle. I monitor my use of water. I use public transportation. And if admiting that there are some limitations to what I'm willing to do makes me a hypocrit... well, I guess I'll have to live with that.