Patient leaflet - HAPPY SHOPPER PARACETAMOL EXTRA PAIN RELIEF TABLETS, THE CO-OPERATIVE PARACETAMOL EXTRA PAIN RELIEF TABLETS, PARACETAMOL AND CAFFEINE 500 MG / 65 MG TABLETS, BEST-IN PARACETAMOL EXTRA PAIN RELIEF TABLETS, ESSENTIAL WAITROSE PARACETAMOL PLUS 500 MG / 65 MG
Package leaflet
Package leaflet: Information for the patient
Paramed Paracetamol Extra
Paracetamol, Caffeine
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.
Always take this medicine exactly as described in this leaflet or as your doctor or pharmacist has told you.
- Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
- Ask your pharmacist if you need more information or advice.
- If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.
- You must talk to a doctor if you do not feel better or if you feel worse.
What is in this leaflet
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1. What this medicine is and what it is used for
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2. What you need to know before you take this medicine
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3. How to take this medicine
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4. Possible side effects
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5. How to store this medicine
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6. Contents of the pack and other information
1. what this medicine is and what it is used for paracetamol which is a pain reliever (analgesic) and helps reduce your temperature when you have a fever
- caffeine which helps to increase the pain relief from paracetamol and makes you more alert.
These tablets are for the relief of mild to moderate pain including headache, migraine, toothache, nerve pain, sore throat and period pains. They are also for symptomatic relief of sprains, strains, rheumatic pain, sciatica, lumbago, fibrositis, muscular aches and pains, joint swelling and stiffness, flu, feverishness and feverish colds.
2. what you need to know before you take this medicine are allergic to paracetamol, caffeine or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6)
- have high blood pressure or are taking any medication for high blood pressure, such as beta blockers
- your heart beat is too fast, too slow or irregular
- are recovering from alcoholism and are taking the medicine disulfiram
- are taking any medication to treat anxiety, this includes antidepressants (e.g. lithium carbonate or monoamine oxidase inhibitors), anxiolytics or sedatives (e.g. diazepam)
- are currently taking the medicine ephedrine (a decongestant) or theophylline, which is used to treat asthma
- are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking this medicine, if you
- suffer from kidney or liver problems, including alcoholic liver disease.
Other medicines and Today’s Select Paracetamol Extra Pain Relief 500 mg/65 mg Tablets
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines, like
- medicines to treat high cholesterol levels which reduce the amount of fat in the blood such as colestyramine
- medicines to control feeling sick or being sick such as metoclopramide or domperidone
- medicines called anti-coagulants, which are used to thin the blood such as warfarin or other coumarins – you may take occasional doses of paracetamol but should consult your doctor if you need to take it on a regular basis
- medicines used during hospital tests for heart conditions such as adenosine and dipyridamole
- medicines used to treat the skin condition psoriasis, such as methoxsalen
- medicines to treat epilepsy, such as phenytoin
- medicines used to treat thyroid conditions, such as levothyroxine
- medicines used to treat infections, such as pipemidic acid.
Do not take anything else containing paracetamol while taking this medicine.
Each tablet contains 65 mg of caffeine and up to 8 tablets (or 520 mg of caffeine) may be taken per day. If you are also consuming other medicines or food that contains caffeine (coffee, tea, cola drinks, chocolate) you may have a high caffeine intake and might have difficulty sleeping, start shaking and/or have an uncomfortable feeling in the chest. You should avoid too much caffeine in drinks like coffee and tea.
Although the amount of caffeine in a drink of coffee and tea depends on how they are made, you can use the table below as a guide to the amount of caffeine contained within certain foods and drinks:
| Food | Amount* | Caffeine content |
| Filter coffee | 100 ml | 50 – 100 mg |
| Instant coffee | 100 ml | 20 – 73 mg |
| Tea | 100 ml | 20 – 73 mg |
| Cola drink | 100 ml | Up to 20 mg |
| Chocolate | 100 g | 5 – 20 mg |
| Your medicine | 1 tablet | 65 mg |
* 100ml is a small cup / glass
Maximum recommended caffeine intake per day: 520 mg.
3. how to take this medicine
Swallow the tablets whole with water. Do not chew.
Adults, the elderly and children over 16 years
2 tablets to be taken every 4 to 6 hours as required. Do not take more than 4 doses (8 tablets) in any 24 hour period.
Children aged 12 to 15 years
1 tablet to be taken every 4 to 6 hours, as required. Do not take more than 4 tablets (4 doses) in any 24 hour period.
Do not give to children under 12 years.
Do not take more often than every 4 hours. Do not continue to take for longer than 3 days, unless instructed by your doctor. Do not take more medicine than the label tells you to. 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.
If your symptoms continue or your headache becomes persistent, see your doctor.
4. possible side effects
Most people do not have any side effects while taking this medicine. However, if you experience any of the following side effects, or anything else unusual happens, stop taking the medicine immediately, and see your doctor or pharmacist.
Stop taking the medicine and tell your doctor if you experience
- allergic reactions which may be severe such as skin rash, or itching, sometimes with shortness of breath or swelling of the mouth, lips, tongue, throat or face
- breathing problems. These are more likely if you have experienced them before when taking other painkillers such as aspirin or ibuprofen (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories)
- severe rash or peeling of the skin which may be accompanied by mouth ulcers.
Paracetamol side effects
Rare side effects are
- 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).
More rarely, the following side effects can happen
- you may become more prone to bleeding, bruising, fever and infections, such as sore throat and ulcers, due to changes in your blood
Very rare cases of serious skin reactions have been reported.
Caffeine side effects
If you do not take more than the recommended 520 mg of caffeine per day side effects are unlikely, but you must remember to take into account caffeine from coffee, tea, other medicines, etc. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine and can get side effects at lower doses, especially if they have never had caffeine before or have not had caffeine for some time.
Side effects may include tremor, insomnia, nervousness, irritability, anxiety, headache, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), and stomach complaints (e.g. nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea). You may also notice palpitations, changes in heartbeat, an increased need to pass water, and rapid breathing.
If you experience any caffeine-related side effects, stop taking all medicines containing caffeine, including this medicine and stop consuming food that contains caffeine (coffee, tea, cola drinks, and chocolate).
If you stop taking caffeine after regular use
There are some people who may experience unwanted side effects when they stop taking tablets or foods containing caffeine after regular use. The most common effect is headache but also tiredness and feeling less alert can occur. These effects are temporary and may last up to a week but to minimize these effects it is best to gradually reduce caffeine intake.
Reporting of side effects
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:.
By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5. How to store this medicine
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date printed on the pack.
6. Contents of the pack and other information
Each tablet contains the active ingredients: paracetamol 500 mg and caffeine 65 mg.
The other ingredients are: povidone, maize starch, methylcellulose, talc, calcium stearate and purified water.
This product is available in pack sizes of 16 and 32 tablets. Not all pack sizes are available.
The Marketing Authorisation holder and manufacturer is Wrafton Laboratories Limited, Braunton, Devon, EX33 2DL, UK.
Text Revised: Jan 2017