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Reaction: Ginny Davis, 61, suffered an allergic reaction to over-the-counter painkillers<\/p>\n
Minutes after taking some painkillers she\u2019d bought in the supermarket, Ginny Davis felt light-headed and noticed a ringing in her ears.<\/p>\n
\u2018I then began to itch intensely on the palms of my hands and within an hour noticed a red rash spreading over my body,\u2019 recalls the actress and writer.<\/p>\n
Ginny, 61, who lives near Stratford-upon-Avon, had taken paracetamol and ibuprofen after waking up with a sore shoulder. She had used both drugs many times before without problems.<\/p>\n
But on this occasion, two years ago, her symptoms were so concerning that she went straight to her GP. Finding her blood pressure had dropped dangerously low, the doctor gave Ginny some antihistamines and called an ambulance.<\/p>\n
\u2018At the hospital they gave me adrenaline and put me on a drip, saying I was suffering an allergic reaction,\u2019 she says. \u2018I was sent home with an EpiPen to inject myself if it ever happened again.\u2019<\/p>\n
At the time, Ginny was not sure what had triggered the reaction. But two weeks later, she took another paracetamol for shoulder pain and the itching erupted again, leading to another hospital trip.<\/p>\n
A test confirmed she was allergic to paracetamol, and she has now stopped taking it completely. \u2018I\u2019m surprised a painkiller I\u2019d always regarded as a friend to stop mild pain could cause life-threatening symptoms,\u2019 says Ginny, who is married to William, 62, a judge.<\/p>\n
In fact, allergic reactions to paracetamol \u2014 which occur when the immune system mistakes the drug for a pathogen, and produces a chemical called histamine \u2014 are relatively uncommon.<\/p>\n
But Ginny\u2019s symptoms \u2014 light-headness, itchy skin and ringing in her ears \u2014 can also be experienced as side-effects of taking paracetamol and ibuprofen, even by those who are not allergic to them.<\/p>\n
Dr John Dickson, founder of the Primary Care Rheumatology Society, says hundreds of thousands of people experience side-effects from paracetamol alone. \u2018Paracetamol is the most dangerous drug we\u2019ve got, but people just don\u2019t realise it,\u2019 he says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Sudden change: Ginny had previously used the products with issue \u2013 until two years ago<\/p>\n
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Did you know? Allergic reactions to paracetamol \u2014 which occur when the immune system mistakes the drug for a pathogen \u2014 are relatively uncommon<\/p>\n
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Millions of us take these painkillers for everyday aches and pains without imagining they may cause side-effects. Figures from market research group Mintel suggest 75 per cent of us have used paracetamol (which treats pain and fever) in the past year, while 56 per cent have used ibuprofen (which also tackles inflammation).<\/p>\n
But a study published last week suggested women who take either drug twice a week for more than six years could be permanently damaging their hearing. It is the latest in a string of scientific studies to highlight the possible side-effects of these very commonly taken pills.<\/p>\n
The study of more than 55,000 women by Brigham and Women\u2019s Hospital in Boston in the U.S. found prolonged use of ibuprofen and paracetamol was linked with a slightly higher risk of developing hearing loss.<\/p>\n
Previous research has shown paracetamol can reduce the blood supply to the inner ear. It\u2019s also believed to deplete antioxidants in the ear, making it more vulnerable to noise damage. And painkillers are thought to possibly damage the tiny hairs in the ear that help us hear.<\/p>\n
Study author Professor Gary Curhan said although the risk was \u2018modest\u2019, given how commonly these medications are used even a small increase in risk could have important health implications.<\/p>\n
Sohaila Rastan, executive director of biomedical research at the charity Action on Hearing Loss, says more research is needed to establish whether painkillers are the cause of this hearing loss, or whether other factors are involved.<\/p>\n
The biggest danger of paracetamol is liver damage from overdosing, which causes around 200 deaths a year in the UK. Less well known side-effects include itchy skin rashes, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, wheezing and coughing.<\/p>\n
And in a tiny proportion of cases paracetamol can also cause a rare but potentially life-threatening skin reaction called Stevens-Johnson syndrome, which often begins with a flu-like illness, followed by a red or purple rash that forms blisters and causes the upper layer of skin to detach.<\/p>\n
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Health dangers: The biggest danger of paracetamol is liver damage from overdosing, which causes around 200 deaths a year in the UK<\/p>\n
![\"Friend](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2016\/12\/19\/22\/3B640CB300000578-4049408-image-a-10_1482186520909.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Friend or foe: Millions of us take these painkillers for everyday aches and pains without imagining they may cause side-effects<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, it is well established that ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can cause stomach irritation, gastric bleeds and ulcers. Lesser known side-effects include ringing in the ears, dizziness, headache and mild itching or rash.<\/p>\n
And some people may be unaware that higher doses of NSAIDs \u2014 including prescription-only ibuprofen at doses of more than 2,400mg a day \u2014 have been shown to be associated with a higher risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney problems.<\/p>\n
Although the risk increases with the strength of the dose, it theoretically exists at any dose, explains Sultan Dajani, a community pharmacist and spokesman for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.<\/p>\n
\u2018People sometimes take more of the lower-strength tablets to get more of an effect, so these risks aren\u2019t just restricted to higher dose prescription NSAIDs,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n Current advice from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is that regular use of NSAIDs should be reviewed periodically, particularly in people who have or are at higher risk of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and kidney disease, including older people.<\/p>\n NICE says if an NSAID is used, it should be \u2018at the lowest effective dose to control symptoms for the shortest duration of time\u2019.<\/p>\n The effect of such findings has meant that in older people in particular (who are more likely to have heart, gastric and kidney problems and long-term pain conditions, such as arthritis) paracetamol has come to be regarded as the \u2018safer\u2019 painkiller.<\/p>\n But what\u2019s confusing for patients is that some studies are now linking paracetamol to gastric bleeding and a higher risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney problems.<\/p>\n This year, a review published by UK academics in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases concluded paracetamol can be toxic, especially at high doses. \u2018We believe the true risk of paracetamol prescription to be higher than currently perceived in the clinical community,\u2019 the researchers said.<\/p>\n Speaking out: Ginny is now urging others to be aware of the surprising allergic reaction<\/p>\n Hidden risks: A study published last week suggested women who take either drug twice a week for more than six years could be permanently damaging their hearing<\/p>\n Dr Roger Knaggs, a member of the British Pain Council and an associate professor of pharmacy at Nottingham University, says it seems paracetamol is not necessarily safer than ibuprofen after all.<\/p>\n \u2018You could now say about paracetamol what we say about NSAIDs \u2014 it should be taken at the lowest possible dose for the shortest time \u2014 not necessarily regularly but just for intermittent flare-ups.\u2019<\/p>\n Another issue with paracetamol is that there\u2019s increasing evidence that it\u2019s often ineffective, he adds. \u2018There\u2019s now evidence paracetamol doesn\u2019t work for persistent long-term back and arthritis pain that lasts longer than three months, and the new NICE guidelines on the treatment of lower back pain published a few months ago do not recommend it for this reason.\u2019<\/p>\n Professor Philip Conaghan, a professor of musculoskeletal medicine at Leeds University and an author of the paracetamol review, says he doesn\u2019t believe most paracetamol users should be concerned about hearing loss, but that the side-effects of both ibuprofen and co-codamol (paracetamol with codeine, a weak opioid) are a major issue in treating patients with osteoarthritis and other long-term pain conditions.<\/p>\n One problem, he says, is a lack of options. \u2018We\u2019ve had only three groups of drugs for pain for 100 years \u2014 paracetamol, NSAIDs and opioids.<\/p>\n \u2018Only 25 per cent of people can take NSAIDs in the long term because stomach upsets are common. Opioids cause drowsiness and constipation and paracetamol has the smallest effect on pain.<\/p>\n \u2018There is a huge gap in the market \u2014 we know 50 per cent of people with osteoarthritis are not getting pain relief from their pills.\u2019<\/p>\n Finding her blood pressure had dropped dangerously low, the doctor gave Ginny some antihistamines and called an ambulance<\/p>\n \n In some people, such as those over 65 with risk factors for heart disease, the risks of taking anti-inflammatories outweigh the benefits, says Professor Conaghan.<\/p>\n \u2018I always advise people with mus-culoskeletal conditions to have pill \u201cholidays\u201d for a few days from time to time, as a lot of conditions wax and wane and you don\u2019t need to take them all the time \u2014 taking them intermittently is probably safer.\u2019<\/p>\n He says muscle strengthening exercises are often more effective than painkillers for patients with osteoarthritis in the knee, for instance. It\u2019s impossible to say if one painkiller is safer than another as it depends on who is taking it, adds Sultan Dajani. \u2018Some drugs are better for some individuals than others \u2014 it depends on what\u2019s wrong with them and what other medication they are taking.\u2019<\/p>\n Dr Martin Johnson, clinical lead with the Royal College of GPs, believes paracetamol or ibuprofen for shorter term pain is fine. It is long-term use without monitoring that\u2019s of concern. \u2018You shouldn\u2019t take painkillers out of habit,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n \u2018We\u2019re pressing for an annual pain review for anyone on painkillers long term.\u2019<\/p>\n Anyone who is unsure about painkillers should ask their pharmacist for advice and always tell their GP they are taking over-the-counter medication, advises Sultan Dajani.<\/p>\n \u2018Both drugs are largely safe but need to be treated with respect. Just because you can buy them at the local garage doesn\u2019t mean they can\u2019t do you any harm.\u2019<\/p>\n \n \n \u00a0<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Reaction: Ginny Davis, 61, suffered an allergic reaction to over-the-counter painkillers Minutes after taking some painkillers she\u2019d bought in the supermarket, Ginny Davis felt light-headed and noticed a ringing in her ears. \u2018I then began to itch intensely on the palms of my hands and within an hour noticed a red rash spreading over my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60100","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60100"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60100\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2016\/12\/19\/09\/3B82E64600000578-0-image-m-13_1482139839738.jpg\")
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