Boots Paracetamol 500mg Tablets (32)

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.

• If you are allergic to any of the ingredients.

• If you have severe kidney problems or liver problems (including a disease caused by drinking alcohol).

You have severe illnesses, including severe renal impairment or sepsis (when bacteria and their toxins circulate in the blood leading to organ damage), or you suffer from malnutrition, chronic alcoholism or if you are also taking flucloxacillin (an antibiotic). A serious condition called metabolic acidosis (a blood and fluid abnormality) has been reported in patients in these situations when paracetamol is used at regular doses for a prolonged period or when paracetamol is taken together with flucloxacillin. Symptoms of metabolic acidosis may include: serious breathing difficulties with deep rapid breathing, drowsiness, feeling sick (nausea) and being sick (vomiting).

If necessary, Paracetamol 500mg Tablets can be used during pregnancy. You should use the lowest possible dose that reduces your pain and/or your fever and use it for the shortest time possible. Contact your doctor or midwife if the pain and/or fever are not reduced or if you need to take the medicine more often. You can take this medicine if you are breastfeeding.

Information about some of the ingredients in this medicine:

Paracetamol 500mg Tablets contain sodium metabisulfite (E223) which may rarely cause severe hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions and bronchospasm (narrowing of the windpipe).

This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per tablet, that is to say essentially 'sodium-free'.

This medicine contains paracetamol.

Do not take anything else containing paracetamol while taking this medicine.

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:

• Metoclopramide or domperidone (for feeling sick or being sick)
• Colestyramine (to reduce blood fat levels)
• Warfarin or other blood thinners – if you take warfarin 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 (called metabolic acidosis) that must have urgent treatment (see section 2).

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.

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.

• Difficulty breathing, swelling of the face and neck, tongue or throat (severe allergic reactions)
• Skin rash or peeling or mouth ulcers
• Breathing problems. These are more likely if you have experienced them before when taking other painkillers such as ibuprofen and aspirin.

• Skin rash
• Unusual bruising, or infections such as sore throats – this may be a sign of very rare changes in the blood
• Nausea, sudden weight loss, loss of appetite and yellowing of the eyes and skin.

Very rare cases of serious skin reactions have been reported.

Frequency not known (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data): A serious condition that can make blood more acidic (called metabolic acidosis), in patients with severe illness using paracetamol (see section 2).

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 or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store.

By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.