High Tylenol Doses Linked to Liver Woes

Drudge report ^ | July 4, 2006 | CARLA K. JOHNSON - AP

[MikeHu]

All the NSAIDs have the commonality of producing gastrointestinal upset that can lead to bleeding ulcers with prolonged use. Acetaminophen is usually lumped into the NSAID discussion but does not produce this gastrointestinal upset and actually, one of the indications for the use of acetaminophen is to treat gastritis.

The most common affliction of people taking NSAIDs is the irritable bowel syndrome or acid reflux -- which is the fastest growing treatment modality of the Baby Boom generation. If most of those people would switch to acetaminophen, the incidence of gastrointestinal upset virtually disappears -- because tht is not one of its notable side effects.

The creator of the guaifenesin protocol for the treatment of fibromyalgia has noted widespread adverse reactions to aspirin -- but thinks it only happens with those who have fibromyalgia rather than it is much more universal in the general population.

For many years I had increasing irritable bowel symptoms after using NSAIDs for childhood arthritis, until after bleeding internally, I decided I had nothing to lose by seeing if acetaminophen would work. The pains are as well controlled and there is no gastrointestinal upset -- which I thought was an inevitable aging effect.

The liver damage has been mostly noted in those deliberately trying to commit suicide by the use of acetaminophen with alcohol. Other than that, its superior safety record accounts for the majority of baby pain relievers being acetaminophen rather than aspirin.

[rkhampton]

Let's see...this stuff has been around for 30 years, minimum, and now they're discovering this?

Funny, I'm no doctor and I've know it for years. I thought everyone did.

[Brellium]

Being a pharm tech was nice, read up on the toxicology reports for APAP, and moved to Ibu. Well, that and the day I took 8 apap in 3 hours to get rid of a head ache that was not going away.

[freeangel]

800 mg. or more daily.

[babydoll22]

I have been taking Tylenol Extended Relief for Arthritis which has been working better for me than Naproxen. Did your doc tell you to stay away from Tylenol?

[ko_kyi]

There is a chemical that can be added to acetaminophen to make it much safer - a sort of built-in antidote. For some reason drug companies don't just add it. It is a precursor to a chemical called glutathione that somehow slows or stops the liver damage.