Boots Paracetamol Extra 500mg/65mg Tablets
(Paracetamol, Caffeine)
This medicine is available without prescription to treat minor conditions. However, you still need to take it carefully to get the best results from it.
- Keep this leaflet, you may need to read it again
- Ask your pharmacist if you need more information or advice
This medicine contains Paracetamol, which belongs to a group of medicines called analgesics, which act to relieve pain and reduce fever. Caffeine helps to increase the pain relief.
It can be used to treat mild to moderate pain including headache, migraine, neuralgia, toothache, sore throat, period pains, relief of the symptoms of sprains, strains, rheumatic pain, sciatica, lumbago, fibrositis, muscular aches and pains, joint swelling and stiffness. It can also be used to relieve the symptoms of colds and flu and reduce a fever.
This medicine can be taken by adults and children aged 12 years and over. However, some people should not take this medicine or should seek the advice of their pharmacist or doctor first.
- If you are under 12 years old
- If you are allergic to any of the ingredients (see “What is in this medicine”)
- If you have high blood pressure or an irregular heart beat
- If you have an anxiety disorder
- If you take any of these medicines:
- Medicines for high blood pressure
- Medicines for depression, including monoamine oxidase inhibitors, or stimulant medicines
- Medicines for anxiety, or medicines that make you feel sleepy
- Disulfiram (for alcoholism)
- Decongestants containing ephedrine
- Theophylline (for breathing problems)
- Thyroxine (for thyroid problems)
- If you are pregnant or breastfeeding
- If you have severe kidney or liver problems (including alcoholic liver disease)
This medicine contains caffeine, which is also found in tea, coffee, chocolate and some fizzy drinks such as cola. Taking too much caffeine can cause difficulty sleeping, shaking or a thumping sensation in the chest (palpitations).
You must not drink tea, coffee, chocolate or fizzy drinks containing caffeine if you need to take this medicine.
Do not drink alcohol (wine, beers, spirits) whilst taking this medicine.
If you need to have tests for your heart, stop taking this medicine 24 hours before the test. It may affect the results.
This medicine contains paracetamol.
Do not take with any other paracetamol-containing products.
Before you take these tablets, make sure that you tell your pharmacist about ANY other medicines you might be using at the same time, particularly the following:
- Other medicines containing caffeine
- Phenytoin (for epilepsy)
- Methoxsalen (for psoriasis)
- Pipemidic acid (for infections)
- Domperidone or metoclopramide (for feeling sick or being sick)
- Colestyramine (for reducing blood fat levels)
- Warfarin or other blood thinners – you can take occasional amounts of this medicine, but talk to your doctor first before you take it on a regular basis
- Flucloxacillin (antibiotic), due to a serious risk of blood and fluid abnormality (high anion gap metabolic acidosis) that must have urgent treatment and which may occur particularly in case of severe renal impairment, sepsis (when bacteria and their toxins circulate in the blood leading to organ damage), malnutrition, chronic alcoholism, and if the maximum daily doses of paracetamol are used
If you are unsure about interactions with any other medicines, talk to your pharmacist. This includes medicines prescribed by your doctor and medicine you have bought for yourself, including herbal and homeopathic remedies.
Check the foil is not broken before use. If it is, do not take that tablet.
Adults and children of 16 years and over: take two tablets every 4 to 6 hours, if you need to. Don’t take more than 4 doses (8 tablets) in 24 hours.
Children aged between 12 and 15 years: take one tablet Every 4 to 6 hours, if you need to. Don’t take more than 4 doses (4 tablets) in 24 hours.
Do not take more often than every 4 hours.
Swallow each tablet with water.
Do not give to children under 12 years.
Do not take more medicine than the label tells you to.
Do not continue to take for longer than 3 days, unless instructed by your doctor.
If you do not get better, talk to your doctor.
Talk to a doctor at once if you take too much of this medicine even if you feel well. This is because too much paracetamol can cause delayed, serious liver damage. Go to your nearest hospital casualty department. Take your medicine and this leaflet with you.
Most people will not have problems, but some may get some.
- Difficulty in breathing, swelling of the face, neck, tongue or throat (severe allergic reactions)
- Allergic skin reactions (which can sometimes be severe and include peeling, blistering and lesions of the skin)
- Signs of caffeine sensitivity including
- Tremor, difficulty sleeping, dizziness, nervousness, restlessness, irritability, anxiety
- Headache, ringing in the ears
- Fast or irregular heartbeat, rapid breathing
- Frequent need to pass urine, stomach upset
Breathing problems are more likely if you have asthma and have experienced them before when you have taken other medicines such as aspirin and ibuprofen (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines).
- Other allergic reactions (e.g. skin rash)
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes, pale stools or upper abdominal pain (these may be signs of liver problems)
- Unusual bruising, or infections such as sore throats – this may be a sign of very rare changes in the blood
If you have taken this medicine for a long time you may get a headache, feel tired, or feel sleepy for up to a week after you stop taking the tablets. - Very rare cases of serious skin reactions have been reported. This may include peeling, blistering and lesions of the skin.
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
Keep this medicine in a safe place out of the sight and reach of children, preferably in a locked cupboard. Use by the date on the end flap of the carton. After this date return any unused product to your nearest pharmacy for safe disposal.
Each tablet contains, Paracetamol 500 mg, Caffeine 65 mg which are the active ingredients.
As well as the active ingredients, the tablets also contain maize starch, methylcellulose, povidone, talc, calcium stearate.
White capsule shaped tablets with no marks and plain on both sides.
This pack contains 16 or 32 tablets.
Manufactured for
The Boots Company PLC
Nottingham
NG2 3AA
by the Marketing Authorisation holder
Wrafton Laboratories Limited
Braunton
Devon
EX33 2DL
Leaflet prepared March 2022
If you would like any further information about this medicine, please contact
The Boots Company PLC
Nottingham
NG2 3AA
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Product name: Boots Paracetamol Extra 500mg/65mg Tablets
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