useless paracetamol?

Personally, I think it's the usual crud from 'so called' scientific studies.  I'd be in all sorts of bother without paracetamol with the knee pain I have.  Mainly because the 'doctors' won't prescribe me anything stronger or more effective, so I have to make do with what I can actually buy over the counter....Actually ...Several counters, as they won't sell you anything more than 16 tablets at a time...So it means going into half a dozen shops to buy my allocation....It annoys me intensely.

If we listened and took heed of all these scientific studies, we'd all starve to death

I tend to shrug this off really.  First it was aspirin, then aspirin is good again.  I think perhaps because some people get hooked on paracetamol.  You'd have to take vast quantities of the stuff to do real damage.   It will be brufen next.  Fed up with scaremongering.  

Old news, I'm afraid.

Perhaps said scientists should do some more research about living and doing exercise without analgesia!

I suspect that the tone of the reporting doesn't actually reflect what the science is actually saying - media interpretations of scientific news are often way wide of the mark.  The message may be closer to paracetamol not being an effective treatment in isolation , so a mixture of pain killers might be more effective which I think many on this forum will have seen in action. I have been prescribed paracetamol, codeine and naproxen.  The exercise message may well be that compared to someone who takes just paracetamol, a person given specific exercises to strengthen muscles around the compromised joint get a better outcome.  And finally, the key thing to remember about paracetamol is that even small overdoses can cause irreparable damage to your liver - which is why they are sold in packs of 16.  I find that the chemist attached to the GP surgery will happily sell you more because they can always check it out with the GP and they can see that you have naproxen etc on prescription.

Just my thoughts....

We heard this in Australia today too.

I take Panadol Osteo, they are longer acting. I take Palaxia at night.

Caz - 6 months post TKR  Western Australia 

Well, there is absolutely nothing new in the fact that it can damage your liver!  Mine is damaged after using it for too long acter a fractured spine.  that it doesn't work . .well, i think we all know that!  I could really see virtually no difference between taking it and not, and it's been years since I tried the stuff due to my liver damage . . .and exercise will certainly not stop my pain!  As usual, doctors seem to live in cloud cuckoo land!

Hi Tess, I agree with all the others. There is always something in the news that isn't good for us!!!

Hi guys and gals - read your comments and yes the ills and shortcomings of paracetamol have been  pretty well documented over the years. It wasn't that so much that got me but the inference that excercise and a healthy life style could either prevent arthritis in the first place or palliate it once it's occurred - i don't personally believe either to be true! Incidentally you can buy a packet of 32 paracetamol if you ask for them  at the counter in any pharmacy.