The so-called “Paracetamol Challenge“, which has been spreading throughout the social networks this trend is alarming doctors and health authorities due to the extreme risk it poses to life, especially among younger individuals. The trend involves the deliberate consumption of large quantities of paracetamol, one of the most common and seemingly harmless medications, in a logic of competition or online challenge. However, specialists warn that this practice can cause irreversible damage to the liver and lead to death within a few days.
Paracetamol is widely used to relieve pain and reduce fever, and it is present in most homes, which contributes to a false sense of security. However, at high doses, it transforms into a potent toxic agent. As revealed to PLATAFORMA by internal medicine doctor Sofia Martins, “the maximum recommended daily dose for an adult is 4 grams, or 4,000 milligrams, and even this value represents the absolute limit of safety. Exceeding this amount, especially over a short period of time, can cause severe toxic hepatitis, leading to liver failure. In extreme cases, the only chance of survival may be a liver transplant, which does not always arrive in time.”
“The most dangerous aspect of this challenge is that the initial symptoms may be barely noticeable. Nausea, vomiting, or a slight discomfort can give a false sense of control while the liver is being rapidly destroyed. Hours or days later, the situation can worsen dramatically, with internal bleeding, mental confusion, coma, and failure of multiple organs. It’s a silent death. By the time the more severe signs appear, it is often too late,” the doctor warns.
According to the clinic, the risk increases even further when paracetamol is taken together with alcohol, a common combination in this type of challenge: “Alcohol enhances the toxicity of the medication, turning doses that are relatively close to the daily limit into potentially lethal quantities. Cases of healthy young people arriving at the hospital in critical condition after such consumption have already been registered in several countries, reinforcing the seriousness of the phenomenon.”
Health professionals advocate “an urgent response from authorities, schools, and digital platforms to halt the spread of this challenge.” For doctors, “this is not about alarmism but a public health issue with real and fatal consequences.” The appeal also extends “to parents and guardians, to be attentive to the online behaviors of young people and to reinforce the message that no viral challenge justifies putting one’s life at risk.”
