A question for any medical professionals...or anyone with knowledge of overdoses???

Question

ok, if someone took an overdose of 40 paracetamol 2 days ago and refuses to go to the doctors or to hospital, what kind of damage could be caused and what would the symptoms be?

Answer 1

Triple 9 I'm afraid. Theyre going to need their stomach pumped. It can take upto 36 hours but with that much of the stuff, chances are their liver will fail, and at that point every minute counts. It's a slow, and very painful death so I hope you're not too late

Answer 2

Theoretically, as little as twenty paracetamols in a day can cause a  slow painful death from liver failure. If she took 40 paracetamols she would require urgent medical evaluation..

Symptoms would includ; sweating, convulsions, abdominal pain, vomiting. If she really swallowed 40 paracetamols 2 days ago, she would likely be symptomatic by now!

Is it a full moon tonight? this is about the 4th overdose question I've seen!

Answer 3

Liver damage will occur at this dosage. They need to go to the hospital now, and I mean NOW. There may initially be little ot no symptoms.

Please get them to a doctor or call one for advice.

Answer 4

Liver damage is highly likely , as the the liver cannot deal with this over dose , medical attention is need right away , as the functions of the liver are many , any malfunction could prove fatal  

Answer 5

Paracetamol is an effective, simple analgesic that is well tolerated by adults and children at therapeutic doses.  Apart from nausea and vomiting, there are often few symptoms in the first 12 hours after paracetamol overdose and this may deter patients from seeking medical attention. It is just Tylenol.  

Answer 6

lol you could very well die from that much, lucky that this is only a hypothetical situation! goodbye liver...

Answer 7

Liver damage is the problem with a paracetamol overdose, yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes might be noticeable. Unfortunately this number of tablets can most definitely prove fatal. Even 10 or 12 tablets can be too many and often a "cry for help" suicide attempt in the heat of the moment has dire consequences.  

If you know someone who has taken this amount they must seek medical help immediately but it could well be too late. Even if they feel OK the liver may irreparably damaged and they could die within days.  

Answer 8

It is quite possible for as few as 22 paracetamol, taken at once to result in fatal liver failure. Death is slow and painful and symptoms may also be slow onset. Symptoms of paracetamol overdosage in the first 24 hours are pallor, nausea, vomiting, anorexia and abdominal pain. Liver damage may become apparent 12 to 48 hours after ingestion. Abnormalities of glucose metabolism and metabolic acidosis may occur. In severe poisoning, hepatic failure may progress to encephalopathy, haemorrhage, hypoglycaemia, cerebral oedema, and death. Acute renal failure with acute tubular necrosis, strongly suggested by loin pain, haematuria and proteinuria, may develop even in the absence of severe liver damage. Cardiac arrhythmias and pancreatitis have been reported. Management of patients who present with serious hepatic dysfunction beyond 24 hours from ingestion should be discussed with the NPIS or a liver unit.