Caffeine and paracetamol

Abstract

Introduction. The diverse commercial names for paracetamol and combinations of this drug are part of the OTC list and do not need a medical prescription. One of the compounds in these combinations is caffeine, which is considered to enhance the effects of non-opioid analgesics in symptomatic treatments or self-treatment of acute respiratory infections. Some patients use these drugs due to the caffeine found in them without the awareness of other components and their influence on the body. These circumstances could be responsible for acute intoxications and fatal side-effects (such as fulminant hepatic necrosis).