Archive for the tag 'Pharmaceuticals'

Several things to know about Paracetamol

Posted October 11, 2007 * Comments(0)

Instantly after my exam I got a bad cold. Every time I get one, Paracetamol becomes one of my best friends, and so this time. One just feels a little better after a dose of 500 – 1000 mg. Reason enough for me to write something about it. By looking at the structure one recognizes, how similar it is to other pain relievers like Ibuprofen, Diclofenac and Aspirin. This becomes clearer when you learn more about the mechanism of action. All three of them are inhibitors of the Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2).

paracetamol.png ibuprofen.png aspirin
(click for larger image)

But Paracetamol is a non-selective inhibitor, so it doesn’t use the active site of COX-2. Read more »

Tags: ,