When acetaminophen is used in the correct doses and under the right circumstances, it is considered very useful and safe. However, people accidentally overdose themselves when combining it with other medications that contain acetaminophen in them. Heavy drinkers who mix acetaminophen with alcohol or people who consume less food than necessary are at risk for acetaminophen toxicity. Acetaminophen toxicity occurs when acetaminophen is not processed quickly enough. Therefore, too much acetaminophen is left in the blood and filters through the liver causing damage. This can lead to liver damage, liver malfunction, and/or death!
Why is this a “hot” topic?
The public is unaware of how common acetaminophen is found in over-the-counter drugs. About 100 deaths per year and last year alone, 56,000 emergency room visits are due to acetaminophen overdose, as noted on Tylenoldanger.com. According to the National Institute of Health and the Center for Disease Control, acetaminophen toxicity is the leading cause of acute liver failure in Americans.
Why should we educate ourselves?
First, acetaminophen is found in more than 600 over-the-counter and generic drugs. Therefore, the combination of any of these drugs can easily cause acetaminophen toxcity without the consumer knowing. Second, the label on the bottle does not warn consumers of the possible dangers associated with high doses, long term usage, and combining drugs containing acetaminophen.
Tylenoldanger.com stated that the FDA has proposed to changing the warning label from “If you consume 3 or more alcoholic drinks every day, ask your doctor whether you should take acetaminophen or other pain relievers/fever reducers. Acetaminophen may cause liver damage.” to “The risk of liver damage increases if you have three or more alcoholic drinks while using acetaminophen.” This would be done in efforts to warn consumers of the risks involved when combining acetaminophen and alcohol.
Treatment and Prevention of Acetaminophen Toxicity:
To prevent incidents of overdose, we should always read the labels of all the medications we are taking. We should make sure not to combine Tylenol with more than three alcoholic drinks in a day.
When acetaminophen toxicity is unrelated to alcohol, the drug acetylcysteine is used for treatment. It can be used intravenously or more commonly through a nasogastric tube.
Links http://www.tylenoldanger.com/html/liver.html
http://www.tylenolprofessional.com/tylenolprofessional/safety–safety-by-system.html
