Presumably, this discrepancy reflects different methods of suicide in the two countries (eg. more frequent use of firearms, hanging, and suffocation in Canada versus poisoning in the UK)[29,30].

That’s probably the crux of it. If firearms were readily available in the UK I expect you’d see a marked fall-off in the incidence of intentional suicides via over-the-counter drugs. (Quick, legalise guns!!)

I wonder if part if it is cultural / ignorance too; it’s maybe perceived as an “easy” way to off yourself, pop a few pills, go to sleep and don’t wake up.

Probably common in “cry for help / attention” suicide attempts too, the thinking being that you can take a few tablets and then be taken to hospital where they’ll all go “there there” and sort you out.

I’d bet that a large percentage of people taking intentional overdoses don’t have the remotest idea about the reality of the implications.

By the way, my wife survived her brush with potential overdoes of Night Nurse and Lemsip by not being stupid.

I guess you wife isn’t someone who has just gone through a tough time in her life, is feeling down so takes a foolishly spontaneous overdose of Paracetamol sending her into liver failure ruining her life for ever. No, she was someone with a bit of a sniffle and a bit miffed that she couldn’t get med to make her feel a little better.

Further to my recent conversion on this thread, this is bad news.
(Clear cookies if the T won’t let you in). I actually think that Paracet should be pharmacy only now.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/11755964/Teenager-with-stomach-ache-dies-of-accidental-paracetamol-overdose.html

noltae – Member
Honestly – reading through this thread has shocked me as to the prevalence of casual pill popping .. Stay away from these substances at all costs … Pain killers should be an absolute last resort not things to manage you day to day lives with ..

Thanks for the concern, I’ll take it under advisement. I get migraines, have occasional back pain from an old injury, and almost continual pain in my left knee from a bike accident, I’m perfectly well aware of the dangers inherent in overdosing on OTC drugs, the only ones I take are ibuprofen and hay fever tablets, that’s it. And Vick Sinex when I get a cold.
Painkillers are a last resort in managing my day to day life; I take them to manage pain and discomfort when it occurs.
But thanks anyway.

If you think the paracetemol limit is bad – I tried to buy two fungal nail treatment kits from Boots at the weekend, taking advantage of their BOGOHP offer on fungal nail treatments, to be told they could only sell me one kit at a time and if more than one nail required treatment I should visit my GP…
He didn’t much like it when I pointed out that the two toes I wished to treat were on different people!

Any GP’s like to add their 2p as to why I would waste a valuable consultation slot before even trying to nuke a manly nail myself?

Paracetamol abuse – known in pharmaceutical circles as ‘the silent addiction’ .. Never underestimate the power of denial ..

Further to my recent conversion on this thread, this is bad news.
(Clear cookies if the T won’t let you in). I actually think that Paracet should be pharmacy only now.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/11755964/Teenager-with-stomach-ache-dies-of-accidental-paracetamol-overdose.html

Tragic but as with most things I’m not sure that the occasional persons stupidity (not reading, or ignoring the health warnings) is a reason to make something which thousands of people take responsibly all the time.

Maybe the health warnings should be bigger or more obvious, but OTC only seems excessive.

The chat about night nurse on this thread is providing fantastic nurse outfits on the targeted advertising!