Paracetamol Abuse Increases Risk of Kidney Cancers- Expert

The community pharmacist has warned Nigerians against the indiscriminate use of paracetamol, noting that it could damage the liver and kidney.

This was disclosed by a pharmaceutical scientist, Tony Oyawole, on Wednesday. He further said that, people engaging in the indiscriminate use of paracetamol are also at increased risk of blood cancer.

The community pharmacist, urged Nigerians to refrain from self-prescription of the pain killer, noting that using it indiscriminately can cause serious health problems.

He said while paracetamol is a simple drug, it is also a very dangerous when not used according to prescription.

“The over dosage of paracetamol can affect the liver and kidney. So, if it affects the liver and kidney and somebody who is already having an issue with liver and kidney is being subjected to over dosage of the drug, it could be lethal because those organs can be compromised.

“That is why it is advised that it should be taken strictly the way it was prescribed” Pharm Oyawole said.

Oyawole further stated that taking paracetamol indiscriminately could also make the abuser of the drug to be more susceptible to blood cancers.

“When you say a chronic paracetamol user, you mean people who take paracetamol at any little pain for maybe what he perhaps needs a little rest for.

“It can become a habit to such extent that the person takes it daily or routinely. This is not advisable. Ideally, paracetamol is supposed to be taken three times or at most not more than four times a day according to the prescription.

“But when you have a situation where you are taking paracetamol five or six times a day, it is engaging the liver and subjecting the kidney to untold hardship,” Oyawole said.