Paracetemol

Introduction

This is probably one of the most difficult pieces that I have tackled for a Vocal story. The reason being that there is so much information online about the drug and its variants, so can I actually tell you any more and keep you interested?

The main image here is some Lemsip in my Pink Fairies "Never Never Land" cup with the "Rock Pig" mat by Edward Monkton that Kirsty got me for one birthday.

It came about when I was talking with a Vocal friend and I said I had a cold and was taking LemSip to help me, and they asked me what that was and I told them it contained paracetamol which then resulted in another question when they asked if it was the same as Tylenol. It is.

Paracetamol is a non-opioid analgesic and antipyretic agent used to treat fever and mild to moderate pain. It is a widely used over-the-counter medication and common brand names include Tylenol and Panadol.

This is the full Wikipedia take on it:

And this is what the NHS has to say with reference to the various brand names:

The music I have included is "Medicine" by Rising Appalachia.

Me And Paracetamol

Many years ago I used to work for the Prescription Pricing Authority and it was they who brought me to Newcastle from Preston in 1989. One of the many things I learned while working there was about the difference between proprietary and generic drugs.

When I company develops a drug they have, I think, ten years to charge a premium for their drug with a monopoly on production. After that, it becomes effectively public domain, and the generic alternatives are allowed on the market. There are still proprietary versions available and they are often more expensive, but the generic ones are effectively the same, just cheaper.

I checked on Amazon and could find no generic paracetamol but it is possibly too cheap to sell on there or controlled by the government.

Some people however seem to need the name on their drug so companies can still sell at a premium.

So, examples of generic drugs are aspirin, paracetamol, and ibuprofen.

One of the first reports I designed was about how GPs could save money by prescribing generic equivalents rather than proprietary items. Part of that used the British National Formulary which was only really available in printed format, but you can see it online here and check all about any drug, including paracetamol. It is online but apparently only to UK users.

Paracetamol is not my first choice of drug, but it certainly helped me a lot when I was recovering from the surgery to remove the cancer. I find it more effective than Aspirin (which I have used in the past for thinning my blood and protection from possible heart attacks), and less effective than ibuprofen for headaches.

One possible issue is that a long term effect and reduce a takers empathy, that information came from my friend.

Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory drug but can cause stomach problems so I am careful about using it.

As I write this, Lemsip is the only drug that I have taken recently, apart from the thirteen tablets and four injections a day that I take for my various conditions.

Concluding This

I am surprised I have managed to write this piece, though mainly by straying from Paracetamol itself into related areas, but I hope I have given you enough information and insights.

Like any drug, you need to take care with it and not take too much or use it with others that may cause undesirable and even dangerous side effects.

Always read the documentation that comes with what you take and you will find that paracetamol can be a big benefit when you need a pain killer.