Each tablet of paracetamol contains 500 milligrams so this equates to two tablets four times a day with a maximum daily dose of 4 grams or eight tablets. The recommended adult dose of paracetamol is 1 gram, four times a day. There is an antidote for paracetamol poisoning and it is most effective within eight hours of the overdose, so getting help early is essential. Just a few paracetamol tablets over the recommended dose can potentially cause fatal liver damage, and there may be no symptoms until it is too late for treatment to help. Over the last ten years, there have been approximately 200 deaths each year from paracetamol poisoning in England and Wales.

Too high a dose however can result in liver damage, liver failure and death. When taken in a normal dose, paracetamol is a safe and effective drug used to relieve pain and reduce fevers. Almost 100,000 people attend Accident and Emergency departments each year after having taken a paracetamol overdose, and around half of these are admitted for treatment.

Paracetamol is the most common drug taken in overdose in the UK.

Antidote paracetamol toxicity