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Over reaction to paracetamol

(10 Posts)
M0nica Thu 30-Jul-26 12:42:56

This morning I slept an hour and a half past my usual waking time and when I woke I felt as if I had been heavily drugged, my mind was not so much foggy, as in deepest smog. This feeling is gradually going, but as I write (12.30) it is still there. While I was sleeping in DH got up, wandered round the bedroom, and, he says, I didn't stir and was deeply asleep. He was beginning to get worried by the time I finally surfaced.

I was so fogged up I forgot about a hair appointment that has been at the front of my mind all week.

Trying to work out what caused how I feel today, I began to remember that this is not the first time this has happened to me over the last, say, six months, but none as bad as today.

I then remembered that last night my hip had been aching and it woke me, so sometime between 1.30-2.30am, I so got up and took a couple of paracetamol.

It was only 2 and I have not taken any, day or night, for at least the last fortnight, so no question of taking too many or too close. My memory then suggested that the previous periods of fogginess could have been associated with taking paracetamol.

I was just wondering whether anyone else here has had this sort of reaction to paracetamol and what they did.

I have a history of over reactions to drugs. I am allergic to penecillin, and anti-histamins have exactly the kind of effect on me I think paracetamol is now causing.

fancythat Thu 30-Jul-26 12:46:35

Only that I take very few pills, so generally only need about 1/4 dosage of what a doctor or a packet suggests.
Could it be that at all?

MayBee70 Thu 30-Jul-26 12:59:46

I can’t remember exactly what I read and it was a long time ago but it was about reactions to drugs and it said that some people react to paracetamol. They used it as an example because it is probably the one drug that no one would think of not being safe for some people.

Maremia Thu 30-Jul-26 13:25:45

Such a pity if you are becoming sensitive to paracetamol.
Check out the info sheet they give you in packets.
It might be interacting with another med you take.
Perhaps a phone call or letter to the Surgery asking about this. Some Surgeries have their own pharmacist, who would be the best person to help you.
Good luck.

David49 Thu 30-Jul-26 16:58:52

Odd occasions I have taken Paracetamol at 2.30am and did oversleep, maybe feeling awful is not connected.

Fallingstar Thu 30-Jul-26 17:10:19

My DH has always been a bit groggy after taking painkillers and because he had a stroke and groggy can mean another one occurring I now give him one para followed any another an hour later. Seems to work for him.

glammagran Thu 30-Jul-26 17:16:01

I often take paracetamol for hip pain and it doesn’t affect me at all. If it is really bad I take neuromol which works better but has ibuprofen in it so avoid if I can. I was prescribed codeine from gp months ago but found it was no better than neuromol so have only taken it once. I’d not heard of reactions to paracetamol before.

tabbie Thu 30-Jul-26 17:20:10

I thought paracetamol was one of the safest, least side effects causing drugs.

Maybe it affected you adversely for some reason. As we age our tolerances can change too.

LyricalGranny Thu 30-Jul-26 17:25:11

My mother used to take paracetamol because she insisted it helped her to sleep. Maybe in some people it does cause drowsiness.

MissAdventure Thu 30-Jul-26 17:30:28

I wonder if it could be because of the heat?
There has been a couple of threads about medication issues in extreme heat, lately.