Tylenol or acetaminophen has been used for years without any problems has it not? No, actually it has not. Tylenol or acetaminophen has been used as a way to attempt suicide and unknowingly given in too large of doses to children. Even some adults have no idea what the safe amount in milligrams is considered the maximum safe amount over the course of a twenty-four hour period.
Acetaminophen is in pain medications such as percocet, darvocet, vicodin, lortab. Actually all of these pain medications are hydrocodone and they all contain acetaminophen as the second ingredient. If you take these medications for chronic pain you may notice the pharmacy label has hydrocodone/APAP and then it will have two sets f milligram amounts. For example, lortab is 7.5/500mg. This means there is 7.5 milligrams of hydrocodone as well as 500 milligrams of Tylenol in every tablet!
Depending on the way your physician has prescribed it, you could end up taking close to 2800 to 3000 milligrams of acetaminophen every day for your chronic pain! It is extremely important that you do not take more than what your physician has prescribed as far as Tylenol is concerned because that 3000 milligrams of acetaminophen is the maximum safe dosage in every twenty-four hour period!
What are the complications of taking too much acetaminophen? Liver damage, chronic liver disease and death. The Food and Drug Administration along with The Center for Drug Administration and Research (CDER) are working with the Obama administration to get all acetaminophen products off the market that are over 225 milligrams in the hope that this will decrease the amount of accidental overdose with this medication. However, it is imperative that everyone be aware of the maximum safe dosage to use when dealing with this over the counter, everyday, considered harmless pain medication.
What are the signs of liver damage or over dosage related to Tylenol? Signs may seem like the flu in the beginning because you will have no appetite, gastric distress (nausea and vomiting and cramping) then the whites of your eyes will get yellow and your skin will get a yellowish cast to it. If you are living alone, this is the most dangerous time, as by the time you are jaundiced (yellow skin) you are already in great need of immediate emergency medical attention.
Therefor, whatever the FDA the CDER and the Obama administration decide to make everyone safer, please remember to read the label of not just this over the counter medication but everyone you purchase and never take more than the maximum safe amount in a twenty-four hour period.
barbara bethard
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