FDA advisory on acetaminophen dangers

July 1, 2:03 PMAtlanta Health ExaminerAnne Davis

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Safe when taken as directed

The FDA acetaminophen advisory panel’s recommendation alerts us to the dangers of taking medications without knowing the ingredients they contain. This is true for both prescription and over-the-counter (OTCs) medications, and is the key message to take away from this alert.

The Advisory

The FDA advice is based on reported overdoses of acetaminophen that resulted in:

1. Deaths due to liver damage
2. Liver failure
3. Almost 21,000 emergency room visits a year due to accidental acetaminophen overdoses

The accidental overdoses that have caused liver damage can occur when people are taking more than one product with acetaminophen and are not aware that it is an included ingredient. The consumer may be taking a prescription medication for pain with acetaminophen along with an OTC that contains acetaminophen.

Prescription products were noted to be the most problematic and the ones mentioned combine acetaminophen with other pain killers. Strict warnings are being recommended for these prescription medications that include acetaminophen and:

• hydrocone marketed as Vicodin
• oxycodone known as Percoset
• codeine or Tylenol 3

Why is This Important?

Many medications today are combination products to treat multiple symptoms. Most familiar examples are the OTC products you buy in the drug store for colds, coughs, and the flu. I was surprised to see a friend giving her child a cough medicine that contained acetaminophen even though there were no other symptoms than an annoying cough.

Why take a medication that you do not need? The risks are too great. Acetaminophen is used to reduce a fever or relieve the aches and pains associated with a cold the flu, or sore throat. If you only have 1 or 2 of these symptoms, do you really need to take a combination product that promises to relieve every possible symptom?

This is especially important if you are taking another medication that has the same ingredients that you may be taking to treat pain or another condition. Keeping a medication list and sharing with your healthcare provider and pharmacist is important to make them aware of every product you are taking. That includes both prescription and OTC remedies as in my earlier article on Medication Lists.

Tylenol and other acetaminophen products are safe when taken as directed. To learn more, see Part 2 for solutions, coming soon.

For more info: FDA Q& A on acetaminophen