Posted on 07/04/2006 4:49:03 PM PDT by RDTF
Healthy adults taking maximum doses of Tylenol for two weeks had abnormal liver test results in a small study, researchers found, raising concerns that even recommended amounts of the popular painkiller might lead to liver damage.
In the study, 106 participants took four grams of Tylenol _ equivalent to eight extra-strength Tylenol tablets _ each day for two weeks. Some took Tylenol alone and some took it with an opioid painkiller. Dummy pills were given to 39 others.
There were no alarming liver test results among the people who took the placebos. But nearly 40 percent of people in all the other groups had abnormal test results that would signal liver damage, according to the study that appears in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.
"I would urge the public not to exceed four grams a day. This is a drug that has a rather narrow safety window," said a study co-author, Dr. Neil Kaplowitz of the University of Southern California.
Heavy drinkers should take no more than two grams daily, Kaplowitz said.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Thanks for the post. Neverdem (((PING)))
The only reason I ever bought any of it was for my babies-- to avoid Rey's Syndrome. [I have no idea how to spell that.] I gave it to them as little as possible. For myself, I never saw anything wrong with aspirin.
Eight tablets a day for two weeks sounds like a lot to me. I mean when you have a headache, you take two and that usually does the trick. I would think that whatever ailment you are taking Tylenol for, if the pain is still there after taking 8 tablets a day, I would see a doctor before I kept taking the drug.
Tylenol toxicity is well known in medical circles. As with anything, there comes a point where too much of a good thing becomes bad. Have you seen the Tylenol commercials and ads where the company tells people that if they don't use Tylenol per directions, the company would prefer that they not use it at all?
True! And it's even worse for the intestinal tract!
This has been known since at least 1976..The media
reported on it then, and it became standard of
practice in the medical community...
The public, after generational turnover needs to be
reminded again....
But it is true, don't let the advertisers fool ya'...
so go slow with acetaminophen....
...
Thanks, Drudge.
The health community has known this for years but the general public is encouraged to call us quacks so they pay the penalty for the Pharma interests who need the money badly.
The Tylenol murders occurred in the autumn of 1982, when seven people in the Chicago, Illinois, area in the United States died after ingesting Extra Strength Tylenol medicine capsules which had been laced with cyanide poison. This incident was the first known case of death caused by deliberate product tampering. The perpetrator has never been caught, but the incident led to reforms in the packaging of over-the-counter substance and federal anti-tampering laws.
I thought it was well known that Tylenol could have adverse effects on the liver?
I've avoided tylenol for years because I drink a lot of beer.
There were early warnings about liver problems. I can't remember exactly when, but about 15-20 years ago. This is the reason I stuck with aspirin.
This study used the highest recommended dose. Previous studies probably focused on alcohol with Tylenol or overdoses.
I don't take Tylonol for this very reason. Also be very careful taking other OTC pain killers; Advil, Naproxin, even aspirin in large doses for long periods of time.
http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/analgesicnephropathy/index.htm
They are talking about people with chronic pain. The kind that does not go away. And since our legal system in their wisdom has decided that we can't have stuff that actually works like Vioxx many people rely on daily doses of OTC pain reliever just to get through the day. And if you are aspirin sensitive Tylenol is about the only thing out there.
"it can damage your heart"
It can also damage your kidneys. I was turned down as a kidney donor because of my high usage.
See my post 34.
Healthy adults taking maximum doses of Tylenol for two weeks had abnormal liver test results in a small study, researchers found, raising concerns that even recommended amounts of the popular painkiller might lead to liver damage.
Now we have a "small study" in which some "healty adults" showed "abnormal" liver test results.
It's been known for a very long time that excessive use of Tylenol can cause liver damage, and that the difference between the approved over the counter dosage and what can cause problems isn't as great as it is with many other over the counter medicines.
The solution to that has been warnings on the label so that people are informed.
However, informing consumers doesn't make trial lawyer insanely rich. Lawsuits do.
I recall reading about this case where it was claimed the murderer was caught. I believe it was a woman who poisoned her husband for his life insurance but tried to cover the crime by randomly poisoning others via placing cyanide in Tylenol. You might want to Google this.
I just got a script for Naproxen for use as an antiinflamitory, joint problems caused by youthful indiscretions, brawling for the most part. I let the doctor know that I had some reservations about it because of potential kidney problems. He agreed that they might be a problem if over done and said essentially if it don't hurt, don't take it and limited the number of pills.
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