Scientists Affirm that Paracetamol is Ineffective in cases of Flue

According to the new research, taking Paracetamol in case of flue is ineffective way of treating this illness. Against the advices of National Healthcare Service this popular medicinal product does not loss the symptom expression of flue such as pain and/or fever.

Paracetamol is the main active ingredient in the majority of medicines treating cold and flue. However, scientists have not revealed the substantial difference in loss of symptoms or the speed of treating among 40 patients who took Paracetamol within 5 days, and 40 participants who took placebo. Moreover there was no difference in feelings of the different groups' participants.

The New Zealand doctors' research is the first research in this case. They have placed in doubt the effectiveness of Paracetamol and made the comparative test of using placebo.

Doctor Irene Braithwaite from the New Zealand Research Institute says: "Firstly we supposed that taking of Paracetamol can do harm because the temperature which Paracetamol fights against is the natural body defense mechanism from the fast virus spreading". Their anxiety was caused by the conclusions of research made on animals who were affected by flue. This research has shown that animals who took Paracetamol and other medicinal products for temperature decreasing died by the virus more often.

Doctor Braithwaite says: "In this research Paracetamol has not shown so harmful impact on a human patient's organism, but however, we have not found the confirmation of its effectiveness".

Adapted from Eurolab