Tag: acetaminophen

Meds & Supplements, Treatment

Acetaminophen Safety: How Safe is Tylenol’s Active Ingredient?

Kerrie Smyres

Acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, is an over-the-counter drug that many people think is benign. It’s been regarded as safe enough to use through pregnancy. As someone who used to pop large numbers of OTC painkillers each day, I’m increasingly horrified when new information comes out about the safety risks of acetaminophen. Most people don’t take high enough doses to be in danger, but people with headache disorders or chronic pain are at risk of taking too much without even knowing it. The risk isn’t necessarily in long-term use; exceeding the maximum daily dose in one 24-hour period can cause severe liver damage.

This infographic from the University of Florida’s pharmacy program highlights some of the risks and dangers of acetaminophen. If you’re concerned about your acetaminophen use, please talk to your doctor about alternatives. Some of the alternatives recommended below, like NSAIDs and opioids, also have limits to how often they should be taken; many opioids are packaged in pills that contain acetaminophen, which negates their use as an acetaminophen substitute.

(Click anywhere in the infographic for a larger, easier-to-read version.)

Community, Meds & Supplements, News & Research, Treatment

Potential Liver Damage When Combining Caffeine and Painkillers

Kerrie Smyres

My response to Painkillers, Caffeine May Cause Liver Damage, a post on Somebody Heal Me, was much stronger than “Oh darn.”

[P]reliminary research indicates that people who take in large quantities of painkillers containing acetaminophen [Tylenol] and ingest large amounts of caffeinated beverages may be at increased risk for liver damage. Migraine medications that intentionally mix acetaminophen and caffeine are also suspected of increasing the risk of liver damage when taken in large quantities. This would include over the counter medications such as Excedrin and prescription medications such as Fioricet. The danger is similar to that of consuming alcohol and acetaminophen, which scientists have warned about for many years.
(emphasis mine)

Knowing how effective acetaminophen and caffeine are for many people with headache, the research deserves consideration. I’m especially interested what role drinking caffeine (or eating caffeinated doughnuts) may play.

Caveat: This study used very high doses of both caffeine and acetaminophen. Still, the potential toxicity of acetaminophen — with or without caffeine — should not be overlooked. Overdoses of products containing acetaminophen account for 40 to 50% of all acute liver failure cases each year in the United States. If you ever take acetaminophen, please read Toxicity and Tylenol to understand the dangers.

Meds & Supplements, News & Research

Tylenol in Pregnancy Linked to ADHD in Kids?

Kerrie Smyres

Children of women who take Tylenol (acetaminophen) during pregnancy have a 37% increased risk of being diagnosed with ADHD and a 29% increased risk of needing ADHD medications over kids whose mothers didn’t take the drug while pregnant, according to a large-scale Danish study. This is a correlation, not proof of causation. The two factors occur together, but they could be entirely unrelated.

Scientifically, a single study showing a correlation should not be a cause for alarm. This is pregnancy we’re talking about, a time when women are extra cautious and extra worried about everything they ingest. As one of the study’s authors said,

“As a scientist, I never want to be alarmist and use one study [to make clinical decisions]. But as a woman, when I see something like that, I would be worried, and wouldn’t take Tylenol during pregnancy any more.”

For most women, this is a fine, if sometimes uncomfortable, option, but having a headache disorder complicates the issue. Not taking any medication during pregnancy could mean months of severe pain and symptoms like nausea and vomiting (which could also be problematic in pregnancy). Women are frequently told that acetaminophen (or occasionally opioid painkillers that include acetaminophen) is the only safe option. What if the safe option isn’t actually safe?

What’s the best choice — a horribly painful pregnancy or the possibility of impaired fetal development from taking medication? Whether you’re deciding if you should take painkillers or triptans, that’s a decision you can only make for yourself. Consider how a medication-free pregnancy would affect your life and talk to both your headache specialist and obstetrician about options. They are likely to give you conflicting opinions; you’ll either need to get them to talk to each other or choose the one you trust most on the issue.

The answer is never simple, is it?

Learn more about the study’s findings:

Meds & Supplements, News & Research

Tylenol & Ibuprofen Linked to Women’s High Blood Pressure

Kerrie Smyres

Women who take more than 400 milligrams of ibuprofen (or other NSAIDs) or 500 milligrams of acetaminophen per day have an increased risk of high blood pressure than those who do not take the meds, found a study that will be published in the September issue of the journal Hypertension.

Taking more than 400 milligrams of NSAIDs per day increased the risk of high blood pressure by 78% in women 51 to 77 years old and by 60% in women between the ages of 34 and 53. Daily use of more than 500 milligrams of acetaminophen raised the risk of high blood pressure by 93% in women in the older age group and by 99% in younger women.

This study clarified that it is the painkillers and not the headaches that women are trying to treat that cause high blood pressure.

Learn more by reading the WebMD article, Common Pain Drugs Up High Blood Pressure Risk, or the journal article abstract, Non-Narcotic Analgesic Dose and Risk of Incident Hypertension in US Women.