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I Have Been Taking 3600mg Aspirin And 2400mg Paracetamol A
Question: I have been taking 3600mg aspirin and 2400mg paracetamol a day for about 2 weeks, 3 times the recommended dose. After taking some on Friday evening I became violently ill, throwing up, disorientated and severe back pain (kidneys?) sleeping a lot. I have been getting a bit better with less nausea but still feel ill. Will I be ok to wait it out to get better on its own or should I have any medical intervention at this late stage?
Brief Answer:
Severe back pain, disorientation, sleepiness and feeling ill warrants a visit with a doctor as soon as possible
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to "Ask a Doctor" service,
I carefully read your query and here is my advise.
The daily dose of paracetamol that you are taking is quite within the maximal daily dose, still, using it for so long causes a heavy load on your liver and you have to be cautious.
As for aspirin, it should not be taken more than 3000-4000 mg a day for more than 3-5 days. Using it for so long in such high doses imposes on you a high risk of stomach problems (ulcer, perforation, bleeding, etc).
Neither paracetamol or aspirin use causes back pain. On the other hand, there are rare cases of peptic ulcer perforation that the pain may be felt in the back. This is a very strong pain associated with vomiting and the patient finds it difficult to move due to pain. This is a medical emergency and needs quick treatment.
To conclude:
- you are using very high daily doses of paracetamol and aspirin that is not recommended to be continued for more than 3-5 days unless the doctor has prescribed them to you and you are under close monitoring of your doctor
- due to the fact that you are having such high doses you are at increased risk for serious side effects so any symptom you develop, you need to let your doctor know asap
- the back pain may be caused by other conditions not related to the drugs you are using but a visit with the doctor is needed to rule out a perforated ulcer due to a high dose of aspirin.
- the visit with the doctor is also indicated due to you feeling unwell, disoriented and sleepy.
- the doctor will have to feel your tummy, check your blood pressure and pulse and do a thorough examination to have an idea of the exact reason for your symptoms and further management.
I hope this answers your query.
I remain at your disposal for further medical assistance.
Regards,
Dr. Antoneta Zotaj
General and Family Physician
Severe back pain, disorientation, sleepiness and feeling ill warrants a visit with a doctor as soon as possible
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to "Ask a Doctor" service,
I carefully read your query and here is my advise.
The daily dose of paracetamol that you are taking is quite within the maximal daily dose, still, using it for so long causes a heavy load on your liver and you have to be cautious.
As for aspirin, it should not be taken more than 3000-4000 mg a day for more than 3-5 days. Using it for so long in such high doses imposes on you a high risk of stomach problems (ulcer, perforation, bleeding, etc).
Neither paracetamol or aspirin use causes back pain. On the other hand, there are rare cases of peptic ulcer perforation that the pain may be felt in the back. This is a very strong pain associated with vomiting and the patient finds it difficult to move due to pain. This is a medical emergency and needs quick treatment.
To conclude:
- you are using very high daily doses of paracetamol and aspirin that is not recommended to be continued for more than 3-5 days unless the doctor has prescribed them to you and you are under close monitoring of your doctor
- due to the fact that you are having such high doses you are at increased risk for serious side effects so any symptom you develop, you need to let your doctor know asap
- the back pain may be caused by other conditions not related to the drugs you are using but a visit with the doctor is needed to rule out a perforated ulcer due to a high dose of aspirin.
- the visit with the doctor is also indicated due to you feeling unwell, disoriented and sleepy.
- the doctor will have to feel your tummy, check your blood pressure and pulse and do a thorough examination to have an idea of the exact reason for your symptoms and further management.
I hope this answers your query.
I remain at your disposal for further medical assistance.
Regards,
Dr. Antoneta Zotaj
General and Family Physician
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
Answered by
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