PARACETAMOL RELIEF TRACKER
A browser-based tool to track medication doses and estimate relief levels with data visualization.
1. The "Why": Medication Tracking Made Simple
Managing medication schedules, especially for pain relief, can be challenging. The Paracetamol Relief Tracker was built to solve a practical problem: tracking doses, monitoring daily limits, and visualizing relief patterns over time.
The core challenge is balancing effective pain management with safety limits. Paracetamol has strict daily maximums (typically 4000mg) and minimum intervals between doses (usually 4 hours). Without proper tracking, it's easy to lose track of when you last took a dose or how much you've consumed in a day.
This tool provides real-time visualization of your medication schedule, estimated relief levels based on pharmacokinetic models, and clear warnings when approaching safety limits. All data is stored locally in your browser—no server, no tracking, no privacy concerns.
2. The "How": Technical Implementation
Tech Stack
- Frontend: Pure HTML5, CSS3, and vanilla JavaScript
- Data Visualization: Chart.js for real-time charts
- Storage: Browser localStorage for persistence
- Framework: Astro for static site generation
Core Features
The application uses a pharmacokinetic model to estimate relief levels. When a dose is taken, relief is calculated to peak within 1-2 hours and then decay over approximately 6 hours. Multiple doses can stack their effects, but the total relief is capped at 100%.
The system tracks:
Current Relief
Real-time percentage based on active doses within their 6-hour window, displayed with a visual progress bar.
Next Dose Timing
Countdown to when the next dose can safely be taken (respecting the 4-hour minimum interval).
Daily Total
Running total of milligrams consumed today, with percentage of the 4000mg daily limit and clear warnings when approaching limits.
Data Visualization
Two main charts provide insights:
- Relief Timeline: Shows estimated relief percentage over the last 24 hours or 7 days, helping visualize when relief peaks and when it may be wearing off.
- 7-Day Usage Trend: Bar chart showing daily totals, useful for identifying patterns and ensuring you're not consistently approaching limits.
3. User Experience & Safety
The interface prioritizes clarity and safety. Key information is displayed prominently in stat cards with color-coded backgrounds. The "Take dose now" button is automatically disabled when:
- Less than 4 hours have passed since the last dose
- The selected dose would exceed the daily 4000mg limit
Recent doses can be edited or deleted, allowing corrections if a dose was recorded incorrectly. All timestamps are stored with full date and time information, enabling accurate calculations even across day boundaries.
Important Disclaimer: This tool is a rough helper and does not replace medical advice. Dosage limits and intervals can differ based on age, weight, liver function, and other medications. Always follow your doctor's advice or package instructions.
4. Try It Out
The application is available at /paracetamol. All functionality runs entirely in your browser, with no external dependencies beyond Chart.js loaded from a CDN. Your data never leaves your device.