TYLENOL OVERDOSE
Here's Why You Might be Overdosing on Tylenol
It's one of the most common drugs in the country, but thousands of people end up in the hospital after taking it each year. Follow these tips to make sure you're using it correctly
Your
go-to painkiller may be more
dangerous than you think. Acetaminophen—the
drug in Tylenol—is the single biggest cause of liver failure in the United States, found a study in the journal
Hepatology. The problem: It's easy to take too much.
The maximum recommended dose is 4,000 milligrams per day, which amounts to eight Tylenol Extra Strength pills. But hundreds of other drugs contain acetaminophen, too. So even if you follow the dosage directions for a few different medications, you could still overdose. Each year, this and other acetaminophen complications send 100,000 people to the emergency room. And repeatedly taking too much can put you at risk for brain, kidney, and liver problems, and death, reported a Scottish study in 2011.
Some other common drugs that contain acetaminophen are Vicodin, Percocet, Sudafed PE Pressure+Pain, and Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Cough. For some medications, the label may not spell out that it contains acetaminophen, according to the FDA. Keep an eye out for abbreviations including APAP, AC, Acetaminoph, Acetaminop, Acetamin, and Acetam.
Whenever you use a drug containing acetaminophen, the FDA recommends taking the following precautions:
Don't take more than one medicine containing acetaminophen at a time. Check the active ingredients of all your medicines to make sure.
Never take more than directed, even if your pain or fever isn’t any better.
Never drink alcohol when taking acetaminophen.
Stop taking your medicine and seek medical help if you experience swelling of the face, mouth, and throat; difficulty breathing; itching; or rash; or if you think you have taken more acetaminophen than directed.
The maximum recommended dose is 4,000 milligrams per day, which amounts to eight Tylenol Extra Strength pills. But hundreds of other drugs contain acetaminophen, too. So even if you follow the dosage directions for a few different medications, you could still overdose. Each year, this and other acetaminophen complications send 100,000 people to the emergency room. And repeatedly taking too much can put you at risk for brain, kidney, and liver problems, and death, reported a Scottish study in 2011.
Some other common drugs that contain acetaminophen are Vicodin, Percocet, Sudafed PE Pressure+Pain, and Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Cough. For some medications, the label may not spell out that it contains acetaminophen, according to the FDA. Keep an eye out for abbreviations including APAP, AC, Acetaminoph, Acetaminop, Acetamin, and Acetam.
Whenever you use a drug containing acetaminophen, the FDA recommends taking the following precautions:
Don't take more than one medicine containing acetaminophen at a time. Check the active ingredients of all your medicines to make sure.
Never take more than directed, even if your pain or fever isn’t any better.
Never drink alcohol when taking acetaminophen.
Stop taking your medicine and seek medical help if you experience swelling of the face, mouth, and throat; difficulty breathing; itching; or rash; or if you think you have taken more acetaminophen than directed.
Source: http://www.menshealth.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment