Now PAINKILLERS are running out: Figures reveal shortages of paracetamol and ibuprofen tablets

It will soon be the season for merriment – and will often end up with a headache as a result.

But watch out for party animals: relieving your hangover with pain relievers can be difficult this year.

As the traditional Christmas round looms, official figures have revealed shortages of tablets such as ibuprofen and paracetamol as Britons stock up to deal with possible symptoms of Covid, flu and colds.

Shortages were also recorded for frozen turkeys, sparkling water and selection boxes of chocolate.

Researchers visited hundreds of stores to see if stocks of benchmark products are high, medium, low, or absent.

In total, 15.6% of stores had low ibuprofen or lack of ibuprofen, while the figure for paracetamol was 14.5%.

Some 18 percent were low or out of stock of turkeys while 17 percent lacked carbonated water.

Boxes of chocolate were weak or absent in 12% of stores, the Office for National Statistics said.

The ONS found that only 39% of retailers had a high level of milk and 49% of bread.

The scarcity of carbonated water appears to be part of a larger problem in the soft drink trade.

This follows a carbon dioxide shortage earlier this year – the gas sparkles in the liquid.

Market analyst Susannah Streeter, of financial services firm Hargreaves Lansdown, said there had been a “rush on ibuprofen and paracetamol as winter viruses took hold” amid the pandemic.

She added: “It looks like Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without the turkey on the table, as the birds are flying out of the freezer faster than the supermarkets can stock up again.

Market analyst Susannah Streeter, of financial services firm Hargreaves Lansdown, said there had been a “rush on ibuprofen and paracetamol as winter viruses took hold” amid the pandemic

There has been a lack of carbonated water supply, with some supermarkets struggling to replace bottles on the shelves, given the drop in soft drink production due to carbon dioxide shortages.

The results are similar to those of a study by analyst Kantar.

Fraser McKevitt, Kantar, said: “Consumers are sourcing products to help them feel better.

Sales of cold treatments have doubled this month compared to last year, while cough fluids are up 147%. ‘