Basrah - College of Pharmacy Media:
Faculty members Dr. Osama Ayoub, Dr. Zainab Haroun, and Dr. Ban Majid Ali from the College of Pharmacy at the University of Basrah published a research paper titled "Drug Interactions of Paracetamol, Omega 3, and Vitamin C" in the German Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology, which has an impact factor of (1.01) and is indexed in Scopus.
The research indicated that despite the few side effects of paracetamol and its availability as an over-the-counter drug, it is widely used worldwide as an analgesic and antipyretic. This is associated with growing concern regarding its easy accessibility to consumers and the risks of liver toxicity resulting from high doses of paracetamol.
The study was designed to evaluate the effect of Vitamin C and Omega 3 on the pharmacokinetics of paracetamol. Six volunteers participated in the study after obtaining ethical approvals and the consent of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Basrah. The study included three consecutive periods, each preceded by overnight fasting and separated by a 6-day washout period.
The results showed a significant increase when paracetamol was administered with Vitamin C compared to the other groups within 30 minutes of administration, with no significant difference observed in the subsequent periods. Thus, it was concluded that Vitamin C led to an increased absorption of paracetamol when taken together.
The benefit of the research lies in raising awareness that taking paracetamol with Vitamin C will lead to increased absorption, which may expose the patient to side effects resulting from the increased concentration of paracetamol, especially in patients suffering from liver problems.
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