[Margaret Pilkington]

I am not advocating taking more than eight tablets per 24 hour period.
It isn't the regular use of paracetamol which is the problem it is exceeding the stated dose.

People think that paracetamol is an very mild drug because you can buy it at the supermarkets....but taken at the recommended dose of two 500mg tablets at eight hourly intervals, it has the pain killing power of 10mgs(normal dose) of morphine.
Pain killing medications need to be taken at regular intervals to ensure that the blood levels remain constant to do the job you want them to do...get rid of the pain.

However, you should be seeking medical advice if you still need regular pain relief after 3 days..... I think most practitioners would suggest this regimen of pain relief for something like gout...which is really a form of arthritis caused by the build up of Uric acid crystals from the metabolism of purine containing foods.

The sales of paracetamol were limited to packs of 16 because people were using it to overdose on.....and once an overdose(of very few over the normal limit - as few as 11) is taken it can cause death, and liver failure is not a pleasant way to die.
When taking paracetamol, it is also prudent to ensure no other medications you are taking contain paracetamol, as this can cause an accidental overdose.

As with ALL over the counter medications it is sensible to make sure you know what you are taking, what the side effects are and whether the medication you have bought will interact with any other medication you are taking...and the pharmacy assistant will usually ask you if you are taking other medicines and refer to the pharmacist if there is any doubt.