Knowra Paracetamol Paracetamol Paracetamol, also called acetaminophen, is a medicine used to relieve pain and reduce fever. Its precise mechanism of action remains incompletely understood.
Cyclooxygenase : An enzyme family that produces prostaglandins and other signaling molecules from arachidonic acid. Paracetamol may reduce prostaglandin production, though its effects on cyclooxygenase remain debated.
Fever : A temporary rise in body temperature, commonly caused by infection or inflammation. Reducing fever is one of paracetamol’s main uses, although it does not treat the underlying cause.
Ibuprofen : A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to relieve pain, reduce fever, and decrease inflammation. Unlike ibuprofen, paracetamol has little clinically useful anti-inflammatory action.
Acetanilide : A coal-tar-derived chemical once used as a pain reliever and fever reducer. Its adverse effects prompted searches for safer medicines that led to paracetamol.
Prostaglandin : A group of lipid signaling molecules involved in pain, inflammation, fever, and other bodily functions. Reduced prostaglandin signaling is one proposed route to paracetamol’s pain and fever relief.
Acute pain : Pain that begins suddenly and usually lasts a limited time, often following injury, illness, or surgery. Paracetamol is commonly used for short-term pain, alone or alongside other analgesics.
Aspirin : A salicylate medicine used for pain and fever that also inhibits platelet aggregation at low doses. Aspirin affects platelets and inflammation in ways paracetamol generally does not.
Phenacetin : A former analgesic and fever-reducing drug later withdrawn or restricted in many countries because of toxicity. Phenacetin is chemically related to paracetamol and was once thought to be its active precursor.
Endocannabinoid system : A network of receptors, signaling molecules, and enzymes that regulates processes including pain and mood. A paracetamol metabolite can influence this system and may contribute to analgesia.
Combination analgesic : A pain-relief medicine containing two or more active ingredients with complementary effects. Many cold and pain products combine paracetamol with other medicines, increasing accidental double-dosing risk.
Show all 23