Introduction – Is paracetamol permitted during the lactation period?
Paracetamol is permitted as an analgesic and antipyretic drug during the lactation period. However, the active substance should not be taken for a longer period of time or in higher doses. One should also be careful when combining it with other drugs.
As randomized studies in breastfeeding women are basically not allowed, all findings on the safety of paracetamol are based solely on the evaluation of clinical experience. It has been shown that paracetamol is found in small amounts in breast milk after a nursing mother has taken it. Undesirable effects or side effects during breastfeeding are not known to date. Paracetamol can be taken during pregnancy and while breastfeeding after weighing up the risk-benefit ratio.
Active ingredient, effect
Paracetamol is also chemically called 4-hydroxyacetanilide, acetaminophen or paracetamoium. The drug paracetamol is very effective for mild to moderate pain and fever. Therefore it is used for: and many more.
Unlike acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), the administration of paracetamol is also suitable for infants and children with fever and pain. Paracetamol belongs to the group of active ingredients known as non-opioid painkillers, including non-acidic antipyretic agents. The active ingredient inhibits an enzyme called cycloocygenase-2 (COX-2).
This enzyme controls the formation of the body’s own messenger substances, the prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are released by the body during inflammation and then cause classic signs of inflammation such as swelling, redness, heat and pain. Prostaglandins also irritate the nerve endings and are involved in the conduction and perception of pain in the brain.
By inhibiting the enzyme COX-2, paracetamol suppresses the formation of prostaglandins and less pain is finally perceived in the brain. Paracetamol also has an effect on other messenger substances, increased serotonin is released in the spinal cord, which also inhibits the transmission of pain to the brain. Paracetamol is also said to influence the perception of pain in the brain itself by changing receptors for messenger substances such as glutamate NMDA and nitric oxide.
Via this mode of action, paracetamol effectively leads to pain relief. It also has a strong antipyretic effect, as it influences temperature regulation in the brain.
- Common colds
- Sniffles
- Sinusitis
- Headaches
- Migraine
- Menstrual Pain
- Toothache
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