How dangerous is paracetamol overdose? Advice on not taking it for so many days in a row

How dangerous is paracetamol overdose? Advice on not taking it for so many days in a row

Author, Antonia Matthews

and

Author, Oscar Edwards

Designation, BBC Wales

Published 2 minutes ago

Reading Time: 6 minutes

The parents of a student have told of the harrowing experience when the student accidentally took an overdose of paracetamol, which threatened his life.

Many of the student's organs had stopped functioning and he even had to be put on a ventilator.

This incident took place in March 2025 when 20-year-old Riley was a first-year student at Lubas University. During this period, once he suffered from severe cold and cough.

He took two over-the-counter medicines, both of which contained paracetamol.

After this he had to be put on life support and remained admitted in the hospital for several weeks. However, later miraculously his condition improved and he started walking and speaking again.

The Royal College of General Practitioners Kimru Wales advises people to always read the label carefully when taking medicines. Also, consult a general practitioner before taking any medicine.

Riley was having a good time at this university, when in the spring he came down with a cold, which he himself did not consider to be a big deal or an unusual incident.

He said, "In the first year, many students often get fresher's flu or cold. So I had taken two medicines."

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"I did not know at that time that both medicines contained paracetamol."

According to the NHS, taking large doses of paracetamol can cause serious damage to the liver and kidneys.

Its initial symptoms often include nausea, vomiting and stomach pain.

From stomach ache to ventilator

When Riley started having stomach pain, she decided to call for help.

He was examined at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, England, in which it was found that his liver was not functioning properly.

As soon as they got information about their son's health, Riley's parents Chris and Kate Lubas immediately reached out to their son. He lives in Newport city in south-east Wales.

Chris, who is working as a director in a company, told about his son that initially the doctors were worried about hepatitis.

He said, "A few hours later, around 1.30 in the night, I got a call from the ICU staff of the hospital. They said that we have to reach there immediately."

He said, "At that time all they could tell was that they were doing everything possible to save her."

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Riley's parents were told that her liver was headed towards failure.

He saw his son's condition continuously deteriorating before his eyes.

His condition became so severe that he started experiencing hallucinations and started seeing things that did not actually exist.

Father Chris said, "That same day, he was sedated until 6 pm. He was put on life support and dialysis. Many of his organs had stopped functioning."

He said, "Then the hospital staff told us in detail for the first time how serious his condition had become."

Hospital staff were concerned about the condition of the fluid around Riley's brain. His lungs and kidneys had also stopped functioning.

Chris said, "We were very upset. We couldn't understand how it all happened so quickly."

By then Riley's condition had become so bad that he was sent to King's College Hospital in London. There is a special ICU unit for seriously ill patients.

The doctors asked his parents how much paracetamol he had taken.

After this they were able to find both the drugs that Riley had taken. Only then did they understand what had happened to him.

Chris said, "This did not provide any direct solution for treatment. But at least we found out its cause."

What did Riley say after recovering again?

Now Riley has fully recovered and works as a bartender in a pub.

Following their son's accident, Riley's parents took out a walking march to spread awareness about paracetamol overdose.

The 50 kilometer long walk across the Gower Peninsula also raised funds for the ICU at King's College Hospital.

Riley said, "It is surprising that the situation deteriorated so quickly."

He said, "I was already ill. So when I got stomach pain, I thought maybe I had a stomach infection."

"I didn't realize that this pain was actually related to my liver."

He said, "I'm just very grateful that I was finally able to recover and come back."

What did experts say on paracetamol?

According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, there were 27 deaths recorded in Wales in 2024 in which paracetamol was mentioned on the death certificate.

The Royal College of General Practitioners or RCGP is an organization of general practitioners.

Dr Will McIntosh, chairman of RCGP Kymru Wales and a general practitioner himself, says accidental overdosage of paracetamol in young people is a relatively rare occurrence.

However, he said that if a person unknowingly takes two medicines containing paracetamol together, there may be some risk.

McIntosh said the pressures of work and study especially motivate young people to take over-the-counter drugs.

He said, "Especially in viral diseases, even if they are not serious, it is very important to take adequate rest."

McIntosh said that sometimes in the desire to recover quickly, the importance of rest is underestimated.

He said, "In many such diseases, there is a need to rest the body and let the disease take its course. Along with this, over-the-counter medicines can be taken."

He said local community pharmacies are very cautious about selling medications in large quantities.

He said that for this reason upper limit is often imposed on the sale of paracetamol.

He also said that general practitioners are now more aware of the risks that high doses of paracetamol can pose to elderly patients.

He advised people to read the labels of medicines carefully.

Keep this in mind while taking paracetamol

According to Britain's National Health Service (NHS)-

The maximum dose of paracetamol for an adult is 8 tablets of 500 mg in 24 hours.

Even branded medicines may contain paracetamol, so always read the medicine label carefully.

Do not use paracetamol for more than three days continuously without doctor's advice.

While taking paracetamol, do not take other medicines which also contain paracetamol. It also includes many medicines for cold and cough.

We used AI to translate this article, which was originally written in English. A BBC journalist checked this translation before publication. Learn more about how we're using AI.