• 24
  • January
    2012

Most people use over the counter pain medication such as Tylenol or Advil to treat general aches and pains from time to time. Especially as we age, those minor complaints, such as a sore knee from running or a lower backache from a day spent in an office chair, increase in frequency.

The Food and Drug Administration attributes approximately 500 deaths a year in the United States to acute liver failure caused by Tylenol overdose. A newly published study raises concerns about the dangerous effects of taking a little too much Tylenol (acetaminophen) over a long period. The danger of liver failure has now been linked to gradual or staggered Tylenol overdoses.

While acetaminophen, when used appropriately, may not be a dangerous drug, the label and dosing instructions may need to be reviewed more carefully by the manufacturer to ensure consumers are being appropriately warned of the dangers of routinely taking a larger dose.

Dangers of a "Staggered Overdose"

Tylenol is extremely common, but it is still a powerful drug. Researchers have found that those who take more than the recommended dose of Tylenol on a regular basis are at a higher risk of death than those who take a single overdose of acetaminophen.

Forbes reports that doctors have a harder time identifying the "staggered overdose" in time to help the patient. A "staggered overdose" might happen over several days when a couple extra pills are consumed as opposed to a single overdose where a whole bottle of pills is taken at one time.

The treatment for an acetaminophen overdose is a chemical called N-acetyl cysteine, which protects the liver from damage. What researchers found was that the chemical was effective in a single overdose, but when the overdoses are smaller and over a longer period, the damage has already occurred before the patient reaches an emergency room and the chemical is largely ineffective.

The dangers of liver damage and possible liver failure from increasing a Tylenol dose on a routine basis should be made clear to consumers.

Source: Forbes, "Deadly Dangers from Drugstore Pain Meds a Painful Surprise," Melanie Haiken, Jan. 17, 2012