FDA: Don’t Overuse Acetaminophen

You have flu symptoms, so you’ve been getting some relief by taking a cough and flu medicine every few hours. Late in the day, you have a headache and think about grabbing a couple of acetaminophen tablets (Tylenol, paracetamol and panadol) to treat the pain. Stop right there.

You might not realize that more than 600 medications – both prescription and nonprescription (or over-the-counter, OTC) – contain acetaminophen to help relieve pain and reduce fever. Acetaminophen, either alone or in combination, is commonly used to reduce fever, and to relieve pain from headaches, muscle aches, menstrual periods, sore throats, toothaches and backaches.

Be cautious not to exceed the daily limit of acetaminophen when using a single medicine or combination of medicines containing this drug. Taken carefully and correctly, these medicines can be safe and effective. But taking too much acetaminophen can lead to overdose and severe liver damage.

Symptoms of acetaminophen overdose may include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, confusion and jaundice (yellow skin and eyes). Some people may have no symptoms after an overdose. Symptoms may take several days to appear. And even when they become apparent, these signs may initially mimic flu or cold symptoms. Severe cases may require liver transplantation and can cause death.

If you have questions about acetaminophen or any medication, contact the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Division of Drug Information at 1-855-543-3784 and 1-301-796-3400, or [email protected].

Acetaminophen Is in Many Products

Each year in the U.S., people catch 1 billion colds and as many as 12% of people get the flu. Moreover, 7 in 10 people use nonprescription medicines to treat cold, cough and flu symptoms. Acetaminophen is often an ingredient in many medications used to treat these symptoms.

Acetaminophen is used in many commonly prescribed medications in combination with pain relievers such as codeine, oxycodone and hydrocodone.

The current maximum recommended adult dose of acetaminophen is 4,000 milligrams per day for all medicines you might be taking. To avoid exceeding that dose:

  • Be aware of the number of milligrams of acetaminophen in all the medicines you are taking.
  • Don’t take more than one OTC medicine containing acetaminophen.
  • Don’t take a prescription and an OTC medicine containing acetaminophen unless advised to do so by your health care professional.
  • When your health care professional prescribes a drug, ask if it contains acetaminophen, and inform them of all other medicines (prescription and nonprescription) and supplements you take.

When you’re deciding which OTC product to buy, read the Drug Facts label to see if the ingredients include acetaminophen, especially before using two or more products at the same time. (For prescription drugs, the ingredients are listed on the container label.)

The word “acetaminophen” is not always spelled out in full on the container’s prescription label. Abbreviations – such as APAP, Acetaminoph, Acetaminop, Acetamin and Acetam – may be used instead.

Rely on Health Care Experts

Make a habit of telling your pharmacist what other medications and supplements you’re taking and asking if taking acetaminophen in addition to them is safe.

When a treatment is intended for children, read the directions section of the Drug Facts label to see if the medicine is right for your child and how much to give. Never guess on a dose. If the dose for your child’s weight or age is not listed on the label and you can’t tell how much to give, ask a health care professional what to do.

If you still have pain and fever after treatment, don’t take more than directed. Instead, discuss this with your health care professional. To avoid harm, talk with your health care professional if you have a history of liver disease or drink three or more alcoholic beverages a day.

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3 COMMENTS

  1. This article fails to state the biggest problem with Tylenol.
    Tylenol depletes glutathione and glutathione is the master detoxifier of the body which helps take out all the waste.
    Why does this matter?
    When a child gets a vaccine, the body depends on the glutathione to clear the aluminum, adjuvants, etc and all of the other additives. By giving a child tylenol, you are robbing the child the singular weapon it has to clear all these potentially toxic elements. (There are those that say the vaccine autism connection is due to the tylenol and not the vaccine itself…..)
    Tylenol is a big no no for pregnancy as well. When a woman takes tylenol, it depletes the body and baby any way of protecting itself from toxins/chemicals in the environment thus exposing the child with no way to protect itself…….again think autism.
    Some tips would be to not give any medication unless the fever is very very high etc and to use motrin or cool off in bath etc instead.
    Another original idea, is to have a bottle of liposomal glutathione on hand to instantly raise the glutathione.
    These are all well known concepts in the functional medicine and nutrition world. Do your own research and protect yourselves and family….May Hashem protect us all.

  2. Also, dehydration is a major cause of fever increase and headaches. Drinking plenty of fluids, with little or no sugar, especially hot ones, can dramatically decrease fever and relieve headaches in a very safe and long lasting manner, without the need to take any medications.

Comments are closed.