I often take painkillers (acetaminophen aka paracetamol), but I’ve noticed that it’s much more effective if I take them TOGETHER with my ADHD medication (ritalin aka methylphenidate) + my morning coffee. If I don’t take them AT the same time, the painkiller is far less effective.
I do not exceed the maximum dosage of painkiller (1gram per intake, mornings), but alone this would barely suffice to kill my morning headache.
My hypothesis is that since the LIVER has to convert all three, I am effectively overdosing on either substance (painkiller or ADHD meds), and damaging my liver in the process.
Many countries have lowered the max dosage of Paracetamol from 1000mg since there’s indeed a worry that it will cause liver damage. I’m in one of the countries that still go with 1000 (Sweden) and my suggestion would be to use 500mg Paracetamol and 400mg Ibuprofen taken together instead. That’s what the medical professionals themselves do.
That said, something in your life is causing you to have morning headaches and it’s a better idea to fix that. Regular painkiller usage is one of the things that causes it (!). Other possibilities can be waking up during the wrong sleep cycle (deep vs light), sleep apnea causing bad sleep in general, overdosing on caffeine causing withdrawal symptoms in the morning etc.
/Not a medical professional
It’s shockingly easy to OD on acetaminophen. I don’t think you are; i just think it’s interesting how a few Tylenol plus a couple doses of cold medicine can be serious.
Also a fatal dose of acetaminophen/paracetamol is one of the worst ways to die. If you don’t get treatment within like, eight hours of taking it, you will slowly die of liver failure over the next few days and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. So you painfully waste away in the hospital.
Stories of people who attempted suicide by downing a whole bottle of Tylenol are horrific, because MANY people who attempt suicide regret it after the attempt (as is reported by people who survive attempts). This means that people who attempt suicide this way still die, slowly, painfully, regretting it but unable to do anything about it, over a few days. Having to face their loved ones, knowing how hurt those loved ones are by the action. The idea terrifies me.
Note, I am not a doctor, so take this with a grain of salt. But this is what I’ve read.
Paramedic here who worked a lot with toxicology patients: You are entirely right.
It’s always horrific.
Yeah, that’s what I’ve read, a day or two of feeling shitty, a day of feeling better and been dead.