Would you be surprised to
learn that excessive use of over-the-counter painkillers like acetaminophen
(found in Tylenol and other generic brands) “causes more than 80,000 emergency
room visits each year because people often aren’t aware they’re taking too much”?[1]
And did you know that acetaminophen is actually included in over 600 different
drugs: cold and allergy medications, fever reducers and sleeping pills, among
others? So, when you think you’re
just popping a few extra-strength Tylenol, and then you take cold medicine or a
sleeping pill, you could actually be taking a major health risk.
Interestingly, “Acetaminophen
overdose is the leading cause for calls to Poison Control Centers across the
US—more than 100,000 instances per year—and acetaminophen poisoning is
responsible for nearly half of all acute liver failure cases in the US.”[2]
You’ve probably been taught from an early age that acetaminophen is safe when
taken as recommended. But the problem is that there’s very little difference
between a safe dose and a potentially lethal one.
If you take 25% more than
the daily recommended dose, which equates to just two extra-strength pills a
day, within just a couple of weeks of daily use you could be causing liver
damage.[3]
As strange as it may sound, research has proven that taking just slightly more
than the recommended dose of acetaminophen over several days or weeks (which is
called “staggered overdosing”) can actually be riskier than overdosing all at
once.[4]
Fortunately, the FDA
recently urged doctors and others in the health field to stop prescribing
combination drug products (the type that you may take without knowing they
contain acetaminophen) that have more than 325 mg of acetaminophen per tablet,
capsule, etc.[5] Still,
despite this action, there are prescriptions containing more than the
recommended dose on the market, so remember to add up all the sources of acetaminophen you’re consuming. Also, beware of
the fact that the dosing advice on these medicines is sometimes quite unclear
and there are various recommendations for how much you can take per day.
As far as my practice goes,
there was a recent study conducted that compared patients who took
acetaminophen for back pain versus those who were given a placebo. It found
that, “there was almost no difference in the number of days required to recover
between the two groups; the median time to recovery was 17 days in the
regular…group, 17 days in the as-needed…group, and 16 days in the placebo
group.”[6]
Since about 25-30% of people struggle with persistent or chronic back pain
throughout their lives, it’s important to know these facts so that you don’t
reach for ineffective treatments like acetaminophen the next time you’re in
pain. Instead, seek other methods of pain relief, as I’ve discussed in previous
blogs, or come see me for an adjustment!
A few more important notes
to keep in mind:[7]
·
Don’t take more
than one regular strength (325 mg) acetaminophen when combined with a narcotic
analgesic like codeine or hydrocodone.
·
Don’t take more
than the prescribed dose of a product that contains acetaminophen in a 24-hour
period.
·
Don’t take more
than one product containing acetaminophen at the same time. Read the list of
ingredients on any over-the-counter or prescription drug you take.
·
Don’t drink
alcohol while taking acetaminophen, even if the amount of alcohol is small. The
combination can increase your risk of kidney dysfunction.
I hope this post was
informative and useful to you for your future pain relief needs. It is our job
to stay informed and put these lessons into practice rather than depend on the
FDA or other branches of the health industry to work in our best interests.
“Working to restore GOD’s perfect design in you!”
[1] Time
Magazine July 31, 2014; Mercola “Acetaminophen Overdose is Far Easier Than You
Might Think,” August 14, 2014
[2] Hepatology
2004 Jul;40(1):6-9; Mercola Id.
[3] JAMA July 5,
2006: 296(1); 87-93; Mercola Id.
[4] British
Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2012 Feb; 73(2): 285-94; Mercola Id.
[5] FDA.gov
January 14, 2014; NPR.org January 16, 2014; Mercola Id.
[6] Lancet July 24,
2014 [Epub ahead of print]; Fortune August 4, 2014; Mercola Id.
[7] Mercola Id.
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