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FDA alarmed over acetaminophen use
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On June 30th an FDA advisory committee recommended that the FDA ban or at least issue a strong warning against two commonly prescribed painkillers, Vicodin and Percocet. The committee issued the warning because these painkillers contain high amounts of acetaminophen which, when taken in excess, can cause substantial liver damage. While this information is not new, the committee recently became alarmed because more and more over the counter products contain acetaminophen. Their concern is that if patients mix the prescription pills with over the counter medication for other symptoms, they are putting themselves at risk. Since acetaminophen is found in so many products, how do you know how much is too much?
The current recommended daily amount of acetaminophen is four grams, or the equivalent of eight Extra-Strength Tylenol. Problems usually occur when people need to take different pills for various conditions. For example, if you’re taking Vicodin for back pain, but you also catch a cold and take medication for that, you’ve probably exceeded the recommended amount. This can be a serious problem because the damage to your liver ranges from acute to extremely severe. In severe cases, patients will die without a liver transplant. Always check the labels or ask your pharmacist before consuming any over the counter medication, and be careful to only take one acetaminophen product at a time.
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AP Photo by Steven Senne
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