People aren't always aware of the paracetamol that is in other drugs
Taking slightly too much paracetamol could result in death, experts have warned.
Taking them over a few days is the most dangerous approach as people aren't aware of actually how many they have taken.
Researchers at Edinburgh University saw 161 cases of 'staggered overdose' at its hospital over a six-year period.
The study shows that the risk of dying from liver failure is higher from accidental overdose than deliberate suicide attempts.
This is because people report feeling unwell to GPS or accident and emergency departments without knowing the cause, making it difficult to diagnose in time.
Dr Kenneth Simpson of Edinburgh University, who led the study, said: "They haven't taken the sort of single-moment, one-off massive overdoses taken by people who try to commit suicide, but over time the damage builds up, and the effect can be fatal.
"The problem is that some people were taking regular paracetamol and not appreciating that they should stick to 4g in a day.
"They were sometimes taking two preparations, both of which contained paracetamol, such as regualr paracetamol as well as headache tablets."
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