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Was Prescribed To Take 5mg 325 For 2 Days. Took Overdose. Could This Give Permanent Liver Damage For Life?
Question: I was prescribed to take 5mg 325 for 2 days. I took 2 every 3 hours for two hours. the directions said to take 2 every four hours but I took 2 every 3 hours. Could this give me permanent liver damage for life?
Hi,
Thanks for sharing your health concerns.
In a person who does not abuse alcohol, the maximum recommended CHRONIC dose of acetaminophen is 4 grams, or 4000 mg; if it was the case that you did not sleep at all during those 2 days and continuously took the medication "on the clock", you would have consumed 5.2 g of acetaminophen.
If you missed one or two of the doses during those days, then you are just or below that maximum recommended threshold. Usually, we would not expect liver failure from such a short exposure, but definitely I encourage you to seek prompt medical attention if you notice any abnormal symptoms, such as fatigue, malaise, jaundice, urine or stool discoloration, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, etc, all which can be seen with liver failure; you should also follow up with your surgeon.
Hope that is helpful, wish you the best health,
Dr Brenes-Salazar MD
Mayo Clinic Rochester
Thanks for sharing your health concerns.
In a person who does not abuse alcohol, the maximum recommended CHRONIC dose of acetaminophen is 4 grams, or 4000 mg; if it was the case that you did not sleep at all during those 2 days and continuously took the medication "on the clock", you would have consumed 5.2 g of acetaminophen.
If you missed one or two of the doses during those days, then you are just or below that maximum recommended threshold. Usually, we would not expect liver failure from such a short exposure, but definitely I encourage you to seek prompt medical attention if you notice any abnormal symptoms, such as fatigue, malaise, jaundice, urine or stool discoloration, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, etc, all which can be seen with liver failure; you should also follow up with your surgeon.
Hope that is helpful, wish you the best health,
Dr Brenes-Salazar MD
Mayo Clinic Rochester
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
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