Many of us rely on over-the-counter painkillers for everyday aches and illnesses. In the UK, paracetamol is one of the most commonly used forms of pain relief often taken for headaches, back pain and colds among other issues.

But as is the case with any type of medication, taking paracetamol does come with certain risks. 

With this in mind, the NHS has warned about how to safely take paracetamol – including medication combinations to avoid.

“Paracetamol is not suitable for some people,” the health body says. This includes people who regularly take warfarin – a medicine to prevent blood clots.

If this affects you, you should talk to your GP before taking paracetamol, the health body says.

The NHS adds: “Paracetamol can increase the risk of bleeding if you take it [warfarin] regularly.”

However, it is safe to take low dose paracetamol with warfarin.

The NHS continues: “It’s safe to take paracetamol while you’re on warfarin. But take the lowest dose that controls your pain. 

“Taking more than four, 500mg tablets over 24 hours for longer than a few days may make your blood clot more slowly. This puts you at risk of bleeding.”

It is also risky to take the painkiller alongside other medications that contain paracetamol such as co-codamol or certain cold and flu tablets. This is because there is a risk of overdose.

Ibuprofen, aspirin and codeine are other painkillers that do not contain paracetamol and are safe to take with it.

The NHS adds that you should speak to your doctor before taking paracetamol if you are on medicine to treat epilepsy or tuberculosis (TB) as this can also be dangerous.