Your immune system is what gets rid of an infection. Paracetamol does NOTHING to fight the infection. NOTHING.
Fever is an immune response. Fever enhances the efficiency of your immune cells, and makes it difficult for microbes that have evolved to thrive in a normal body temperature. Why would you want to block your own immune response with paracetamol? Why would you want to make it easier for the microbes to survive and multiply in your body?
The paracetamol needs to be processed by your liver and it’s enzymes, before it is excreted. Which is an added load on the detoxification system, when it is already trying to cope with the toxins created by the infection and the immune systems response against the infection. What do you hope to gain by adding more load to a liver that already has enough work to do?
When CAN you take paracetamol?
You can take it any time. It’s a free country (kind of). The drug is available over the counter. Everyone you see, is telling you to take it. You can take it whenever you want.
When SHOULD you take paracetamol?
1. When you have a history of fever related seizures ( usually this applies only to children under 6 years of age)
2. When the discomfort and body pain is so severe that you are unable to lie down and sleep. Because sleep is what is really going to boost your immune systems efficiency, and if the fever is high enough to prevent you from sleeping, take a paracetamol. The trade off may be worth it. You’ll have to try and see.
If someone knows of other good reasons to take paracetamol, please let me know.
It’s my choice! Is a good enough reason. I’m fragile and can’t handle anything higher than 37.6 is also a good enough reason, I guess.