Doctors warn: That's why pregnant women should be careful with paracetamol
Created: 10/12/2022 5:31 p.m
By: Stella Henrich
Doctors not only warn of the lack of effectiveness of paracetamol, but also of the dangerous side effects of the preparation.
Especially pregnant women should know them.
Munich – Professor Hartmut Göbel from the Kiel Pain Clinic has been working as a pain doctor and neurologist on the treatment of chronic pain for many years.
These include, for example, migraines and headaches - in both adults and children.
According to the Robert Koch Institute, around 54 million people in Germany suffer from headaches at times.
38 percent of those affected are even regularly plagued by migraine attacks.
Many of those affected then pull the curtains in the bedroom, lie down in bed and wait until the pain in their heads stops.
Many patients also take painkillers, which can now be bought everywhere without a prescription.
One of them is paracetamol.
According to Göbel, the preparation only achieves around 50 percent relief for migraines and headaches in one out of 14 patients, the
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quotes the doctor as saying.
He attests to the drug's lack of effectiveness in pain management.
Criticism of paracetamol: marginal effectiveness and high side effects
People who take paracetamol would have an increased risk of mortality compared to those who didn't use it - that is, a higher mortality rate.
Above all, there would be an increased risk of fatal or non-fatal heart attacks, strokes or heart disease, as well as gastrointestinal ulcers and kidney dysfunction.
According to Hartmut Göbel, there is also an increased risk of liver values being too high.
The combination of pain and painkillers is no longer a side issue during pregnancy.
Paracetamol is used against headaches, migraines, back pain, muscle pain and joint pain by around 50 to 65 percent of pregnant women either at a certain point in time or permanently during pregnancy, Göbel reports.
The reflexive, often heedless confrontation of unborn life with paracetamol during pregnancy has been shaken by numerous studies in recent years.
Caution during pregnancy - doctors advise against paracetamol.
© IMAGO
Paracetamol in pregnancy: increased risk of ADHD in children
The use of paracetamol during pregnancy could be associated with a significantly increased risk for the unborn child, trigger serious developmental disorders such as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and develop into hyperactivity syndrome.
These studies alone would be sufficient to inform pregnant women about these risks, the Kiel professor explained on the website of his pain clinic.
Especially since paracetamol is also only marginally effective for pain.
Helpful handles: impulses for self-healing
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If you still don't want to do without the drug, Göbel recommends taking it in small amounts for mild pain and fever - but not during pregnancy.
In most cases, rest and relaxation alone help to get rid of the headache without taking pills.