Acetaminophin: Not as Safe as You Think

deckerp

I saw this on http://health.yahoo.com

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/managinghealthcare/acetaminophin-not-safe-you-think

Acetaminophin: Not as Safe as You Think

About a month ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that many over-the-counter (OTC) painkillers that contain acetaminophen will have to carry new warnings about potential dangers of liver damage.

The FDA had previously recommended that adults and children 12 years and age or older should not exceed 4,000 mg of acetaminophen in a 24-hour period. People with severe arthritis, for example, can fairly easily exceed this daily amount if they take 2 extra-strength Tylenols every 4 to 6 hours and also use other OTC products that contain acetaminophen. (Regular Tylenol tablets contain 325 mg of acetaminophen; Extra-Strength Tylenol contains 500 mg.)

In recent years, many consumers have settled on acetaminophen as their favorite pain reliever because so much concern and anxiety have been swirling around other popular pain killers for dealing with arthritis, headaches, and menstrual pain. Since Tylenol does not cause GI bleeding, many people consider acetaminophen to be far safer than other painkillers. And yet, studies have now revealed that high doses of acetaminophen can cause severe liver damage and even death.

Gastrointestinal bleeding can be a serious side effect of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, naproxen (Aleve®), ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®), and Excedrin®. When a newer group of NSAIDs, termed COX-2 inhibitors, were developed, researchers expected fewer bleeding complications from them; however, follow-up studies showed that the COX-2 inhibitors were associated with a significantly greater number of heart attacks and strokes. These deadly side effects led the manufacturers of two of the COX-2 inhibitors—rofecoxib (Vioxx®) and valdecoxib (Bextra®)—to remove them from the market.

Some uncertainties remain about the heart and stroke risks of the remaining COX-2 inhibitor, celecoxib (Celebrex®). All of these grave worries concerning the old and newer pain-relieving NSAIDs further persuaded people to return to their old stand-by, acetaminophen.

To help people avoid damaging their liver with acetaminophen, the FDA's report calls for a maximum adult daily dose of 3,250 mg (some experts believe this amount is too high) and a single dose no greater than 650 mg. And since the combination of alcohol and acetaminophen is even more toxic to the liver, people who consume more than 3 alcoholic drinks a day should limit their acetaminophen intake even further.

In addition to watching their intake of acetaminophen itself, consumers need to know they still might exceed a safe dose if they take any of the many other OTC products, including remedies for colds, headaches, and fevers, that contain acetaminophen.

WifeMomDVM

This is why I always prescribe an antacid with an NSAID.

CaptainMFP

Of course, this is not new information. All the numbers sounded very familiar to me. The original article is more than two years old. Useful for people to know, yes. But not new.

Fayve

Acetaminophen is one of the healthiest (as far as hurting the liver) headache/muscle medication. It's the only one that I can personally take while having gastrointestinal problems. Advil, ibuprofen, etc. are about 4x more harmful, while tylenol (brand named acetaminophen) is considered the safest, which is why it's the only type of headache or fever medication many hospitals use.

dad106

My mom is on celebrex and she was told to take Tylenol because it's dangerous when mixed with Advil, due to those very reasons listed in the article.. even if the article says its uncertain.

LabRat529

Acetaminophen is one of the healthiest (as far as hurting the liver) headache/muscle medication. It's the only one that I can personally take while having gastrointestinal problems. Advil, ibuprofen, etc. are about 4x more harmful, while tylenol (brand named acetaminophen) is considered the safest, which is why it's the only type of headache or fever medication many hospitals use.

Err... can you back that up with data? That doesn't sound right to me. Especially the 4x bit.

mhotch

As everything else....in moderation. Tylenol/acetaminophen becomes a problem because it is in so many cold medications. People take the cold medication and tylenol for aches and pains. That's where the overdosing come in.