Urgent warning over paracetamol – regular use of common painkiller linked to deadly health problem
Scientists have warned older adults against regularly popping acetaminophen due to links to alarming conditions such as internal bleeding and chronic kidney disease.
A major analysis carried out by experts at the University of Nottingham has found a ‘dose-dependent’ relationship between use of the painkiller and digestive, heart and kidney problems.
The study, which monitored the health of more than half a million over-65s over the age of 20, found that those prescribed paracetamol twice within six months were at particularly high risk of complications.
Compared to a group of control subjects from the same age group, those with this number of prescriptions were more likely to develop stomach ulcers, heart failure, high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease.
The more acetaminophen someone took, the more likely he or she would see an ulcer bleed or split open.
The painkiller is often prescribed to older people to help them manage symptoms of a range of chronic diseases such as arthritis and osteoporosis.
Studies suggest About 90 percent of people over 75 regularly use paracetamol, mainly to treat joint and bone pain, as well as the consequences of falls.
But the author of the new study, Professor Weiya Zhang, an epidemiologist at the National Institute for Health and Care Research Biomedical Research Center at the University of Nottingham, said patients should “carefully consider” whether or not they should take the medication frequently.
Paracetamol, known as paracetamol in the US, is one of the most commonly used medications around the world.
‘The use of paracetamol as a first-line painkiller for long-term conditions such as osteoarthritis in the elderly should be carefully considered,’ he said, adding that evidence shows it has a ‘minimal pain-relieving effect’.
In 2022, health watchdog The National Institute For Health and Care Excellence changed its guidelines for treating osteoarthritis – the type of age-related disease that occurs when the protective cartilage at the ends of your bones breaks down, causing pain and mobility problems.
The updated rules say GPs should offer exercise programs as a first-line treatment for the condition, and avoid ‘routinely’ offering paracetamol as this is unlikely to be effective.
Anti-inflammatory creams can be used ‘in addition to’ exercise, the guideline adds.
It has long been thought that paracetamol is gentler on the gut than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen.
However, some studies suggest that, in high doses, it can cause irritation of the upper gastrointestinal tract, resulting in symptoms such as heartburn, pain, nausea and vomiting.

Previous research has shown that too much paracetamol can increase blood pressure. This graph shows the average increase in blood pressure observed at different points among participants when they took a daily dose of 4 grams of paracetamol.
Scientists are currently unsure why the drug can cause kidney problems, but some research has suggested that it may interact with chemicals in the body, forming toxins that damage the organ’s cells.
Experts have long warned about the impact of high doses of the painkiller on the liver.
Excessive doses of the drug – sold in the US as Tylenol – are considered the leading cause of acute liver failure in the Western world.
Too much overwhelms the liver’s normal pathway to safely metabolize the drug, and instead it ends up in a toxic form that damages cells, eventually leading to liver failure.
A 2017 study found that the type of damage to organ cells caused by acetaminophen is similar to the damage caused by alcohol and hepatitis.
Meanwhile, other studies have found links between long-term use of the painkiller and increased blood pressure.
This is believed to be due to the fact that many patients take soluble versions of the drug, which are high in sodium, increasing the risk of blood pressure spikes.
The maximum safe dose of paracetamol for adults is two 500 mg tablets or capsules four times a day.
The NHS warns against taking more than eight tablets in a 24-hour period.
Experts have previously warned that it is “too easy” to overdose on the painkiller, as many people combine different products containing paracetamol – such as those that treat colds and flu – and lose track of the dosage.
Dr. Kenneth Simpson, a liver disease specialist at the University of Edinburgh, previously told MailOnline that staggered overdoses can occur when people are in pain and repeatedly take a little more paracetamol than necessary.
He said: ‘They haven’t taken the kind of one-off, massive overdoses of people who try to commit suicide, but over time the damage accumulates and the effect can be fatal.
‘They often take paracetamol for the pain and do not keep track of how much they have consumed in a few days.’