It's the first resort for anything from a child's fever to arthritis – but paracetamol (acetaminophen) isn't as safe or effective as we thought it was
YOU'VE got a terrible headache. Niggling knee pain. An aching back. What do you reach for? Chances are that you'll open your medicine cabinet and grab some paracetamol. Half an hour or so later, you'll feel a lot better. Or will you?
Paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen, is the cure-all of our age, used to treat everything from sprained ankles to toothaches and even labour pain. It is on the first rung of the World Health Organization's "analgesic ladder", which doctors use to treat cancer pain. We spoon it to our children to fight fever; as adults we pop it to relieve headaches or period cramps, and as we get older we're prescribed ...
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