Panadol/Paracetamol Remains in Body, Kills Humans/Vultures: Fact Check

Story: 

Paracetamol Remains in Body for Years and Kills..

Please make time to read, very useful.

Parsees (A sect in India) used to take their Dead & lay them to rest @ huge ‘Wind Towers’ (round structures that Look like Giant Water reservoirs, but open to the air)…The Parsees never buried their dead, nor burned them. They leave them to the Birds of Prey (Vultures) to be eaten thus completing the Life Cycle..

Around 10 years ago, it was noticed that the Birds are dying off. Not many of them were left to consume the dead bodies (which started rotting away)…So, the Parsees had to change this mode of dealing with their dead.. BUT, they wanted to know why a Custom that survived for hundreds of years, had to be suspended?!!

They did Autopsies on Dead Birds (they were dying in huge numbers)..What was the Culprit??? PARACETAMOL (PANADOL)…!! People started consuming pain-killers a decade ago, Panadol STAYS in the Liver for a Long Time…It ultimately accumulated in the Birds’ systems & they could not cope with it!

Interesting to know… read more

Fact Check:

The message doing rounds online since many years, in various versions, also though emails, warns people that the common medicine Panadol/Paracetamol remains in the human body for at least 5 years, and the side effects Kills humans and the Scavenging Vultures. It is said that the alleged discovery was made from the declining vulture population (deaths) in India, where Parsees maintain a tradition of offering the Corpses to the scavenging birds (vultures). Not to worry, the death claims associated to Panadol/Paracetamol use are not facts as described below.

Facts about Parsees’ Tradition & Vultures’ Death

Parsees indeed follow an ancient tradition of leaving the corpses to the scavenging birds Vultures. It is also a fact that vultures in India have suffered population declines, but the deaths occurred due to the exposure to veterinary drugs. In 1993 Diclofenac drug was approved for veterinary use in cattle in India. It was given to farm animals to reduce joint pain and allow them to work longer. But when the animals died, the vultures scavenging the bodies were exposed to the drug, causing them to suffer irreversible kidney failure. Since then veterinarian use of Diclofenac was banned.

Paracetamol Safety & Side Effects

Paracetamol, also known as Acetaminophen or APAP, is a medication used to treat mild to moderate pain and fever. It is the active ingredient in trade names like Panadol and Tylenol, and is available as a generic medication. Notably, Paracetamol is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines, as one of the most effective and safe medicines needed in a health system. Medical professionals prescribe it widely, and people often use it over-the-counter. While some people might be allergic to it, Paracetamol usually has no side effects when taken in prescribed dose. However, one should be careful with the dose, as overdose can have adverse effects. Studies have shown that Paracetamol is well absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, and also from the rectum. In healthy subjects 85 to 95% of a therapeutic dose of Paracetamol excretes from the urine within 24 hours.

So considering the aforementioned facts about the safety of Paracetamol use and the unrelated deaths of vultures, the claims that Panadol stays in human body for at least 5 years and the side effects kills humans and the scavenging vultures are hoaxes.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.