Paracetamol (Panadol, Calpol) dose for adults and children

Paracetamol is the most used medicine for fever and pain in Pakistan, sold as Panadol, Calpol and many other brands. It is safe at the right dose, but too much can badly damage the liver, and overdose is one of the most common medicine poisonings worldwide.

Usual adult dose

• 500 mg to 1,000 mg (one or two 500 mg tablets) every 4 to 6 hours if needed.
• No more than 4,000 mg (eight 500 mg tablets) in 24 hours.
• Use a lower maximum (often 2,000 to 3,000 mg a day) if you weigh under about 50 kg, drink alcohol regularly, have liver disease, or are malnourished. Ask your doctor.

Children: dose by weight, not age

For children the usual dose is about 10 to 15 mg per kg of body weight, every 4 to 6 hours, with no more than 4 doses in 24 hours.

Example: a child of 12 kg needs about 120 to 180 mg per dose.

Check the strength printed on the bottle, because syrups and drops come in different strengths:

So 5 ml of a 250 mg/5 ml syrup has more than twice the medicine of 5 ml of a 120 mg/5 ml syrup. Use the syringe or cup that comes with the medicine, not a kitchen spoon.

For babies under 3 months, do not give paracetamol for fever without a doctor's advice: a fever at this age needs to be checked.

The hidden-paracetamol problem

Many combination medicines already contain paracetamol:

• Cold and flu tablets, such as Panadol Cold & Flu.
• "Extra" tablets with caffeine, such as Panadol Extra.
• Some painkillers combined with other drugs.

Taking these together with plain Panadol can push you over the safe limit. Check the salt name on every pack, or open the medicine on XpertMedico to see its salts. You can see every paracetamol product on the paracetamol brands page.

When not to take it without advice

• Liver disease, or regular alcohol use.
• Very low body weight or poor nutrition.
• Taking warfarin regularly (frequent paracetamol can affect it).

Signs of too much paracetamol

Early on there may be no symptoms, or only nausea and vomiting. Liver damage can show up a day or two later. If someone has taken more than the safe amount, even if they feel fine, call 1122 or go to a hospital emergency straight away; treatment works best early. Find one on the emergency page.

See a doctor if

• Fever lasts more than 2 to 3 days, or pain lasts more than a few days.
• The fever is very high or comes with a rash, stiff neck, confusion, breathing difficulty or bleeding (think of dengue).
• A child is drowsy, not feeding or has fewer wet nappies.

Need it now? Find pharmacies near you and see which stores list it.