image by: Mike Mozart

Featured

 Co-author of study linking Tylenol to autism says pain reliever still an option

Aspirin and ibuprofen have been contraindicated, particularly for the third trimester, for a very long time. What we recommend is judicious use – the lowest effective dose [for the] the shortest duration of time under medical guidance and supervision, tailored to the individual, rather than a broad limit, limitation. We would like to see warning labels on bottles, but we think those are the appropriate and immediate steps that should be taken.

Articles of Interest

Using acetaminophen during pregnancy may increase children’s autism and ADHD risk

When children are exposed to acetaminophen—also known by the brand name Tylenol or as paracetamol—during pregnancy, they may be more likely to develop neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) including autism and ADHD, according to a new study. The study was published August 14 in BMC Environmental Health. Andrea Baccarelli, dean of the faculty at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and professor of environmental health, was senior author. The study was led by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and also included co-authors from other institutions.

Does Acetaminophen Deplete Glutathione? Understanding the Connection

Research has indicated that acetaminophen can indeed lead to a depletion of glutathione levels, particularly at higher doses or with prolonged use.

Is Acetaminophen Fanning the Flames of Vaccine Injury?

Outdated recommendations to medicate children during periods of vaccination are doing more harm than expected. A decades-long recommendation, the science is far clearer now: acetaminophen, commonly known as Tylenol, and vaccines don’t mix. To understand acetaminophen’s impact, we must understand glutathione peroxidase. This critical sulfur-based antioxidant is naturally produced in our bodies. Much of it hangs out in our brains. This is the antioxidant that neutralizes toxins and their byproducts to prevent damage to our DNA.

Is Tylenol 'By Far The Most Dangerous Drug Ever Made?'

How can there be 50,000 emergency room visits and 25,000 hospitalizations, yet only 450 deaths per year? This is because, when treated in time, irreversible liver damage from an acute overdose of acetaminophen can be prevented. There is an antidote called N-acetylcysteine. But the danger of the drug is not only from acute doses.

KnowYourDose.org

Acetaminophen is in more than 600 prescription and over-the-counter medicines. When used as directed it’s safe and effective, but taking too much can lead to liver damage. Do you know your dose?

Pediatric Dosages

Meltaways. Tabs that dissolve come in 80 mg and 160 mg (jr. strength) Suppositories. Come in 80, 120, 325 and 650 mg. The rectal dose is the same as the dose given by mouth.

Should you take Tylenol, Advil, or aspirin for pain? Here's what the evidence says

For ongoing (or chronic) pain — a sore lower back, say, or the kind of degenerative arthritis that typically develops with age — ibuprofen still outperforms acetaminophen.

Taking Tylenol? The Glutathione Connection

Tylenol is a safe and effective painkiller to use for short periods of time and in the recommended doses. However, Tylenol does carry the risk of liver damage and glutathione depletion, especially if overused or used alongside alcohol.

This Common Painkiller Does Some Interesting Things To Your Mind

As an over-the-counter pain reliever, it's fairly effective at treating pain. But in 2010, a study came out that showing that this medicine-cabinet staple could be influencing us in other ways, too: Acetaminophen was not only able to blunt physical pain, but social pain and rejection too.

What's wrong with the world's favourite painkiller?

YOU’VE got a terrible headache. Niggling knee pain. An aching back. What do you reach for? Chances are that you’ll open your medicine cabinet and grab some paracetamol. Half an hour or so later, you’ll feel a lot better. Or will you?

A Trusted Pill Turned Deadly. How Tylenol Made a Comeback.

How do companies regain public trust after something goes seriously wrong? We looked at how Tylenol responded after someone inexplicably spiked its pills with poison in the 1980s.

Acetaminophen: How Much Is Too Much?

The problem then and now is that the amount of acetaminophen in each dose of the dozens of pain relievers and cold and allergy meds on the market vary widely, and in surprising ways.

Advil vs. Tylenol. Which to Use, and When

The popular medications are each at their best when taken for certain ailments.

Can Tylenol help curb anxiety?

Tylenol isn’t addictive like narcotics, and the kids don’t take it to get high, which lends it an air of benignity and social acceptance not otherwise afforded to many pain medications. When people overdose on pills like Vicodin or Percocet, though, which contain acetaminophen, it’s that component that often does the most damage.

Do Acetaminophen’s Risks Outweigh the Benefits?

The drug has been around for so long it’s accepted as useful. But it shouldn’t be.

FDA Restricts Acetaminophen in Some Products

Federal health regulators are restricting the amount of acetaminophen in prescription painkillers such as Vicodin and Percocet because of concerns that acetaminophen overdoses are linked to thousands of cases of liver damage in recent years.

Here's why you shouldn't take extra-strength Tylenol

Many over-the-counter and prescription drugs contain potentially harmful levels of acetaminophen — the active ingredient in Tylenol and other painkillers. The FDA is now warning people against taking prescription drugs that include more than 325 milligrams of acetaminophen per pill — and it's a good idea to stop taking the over-the-counter drugs that contain this much, too.

Ibuprofen vs Acetaminophen: When Should You Use One Over The Other?

As for what bottle you should grab off the drug shelf? Well, provided you’re not suffering from any sort of specific allergies or underlying kidney complications, the ibuprofen will likely give you the best bang for your buck.

Taking Acetaminophen While Pregnant Linked To ADHD In Kids

Acetaminophen, the active ingredient in medications including Tylenol and Excedrin, is the most commonly used over-the-counter pain and fever reliever during pregnancy. Now, research suggests it might increase the risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder-like problems in children.

The dark side of acetaminophen

If it entered the market today, it probably would not be approved as an over-the-counter drug.

Trial Records: Doctors Recommended Tylenol — But Only at Lower Doses

Marketing for Tylenol did not convey doctors’ concerns about its risks.

What's Tylenol Doing to Our Minds?

The same pathways that help with physical pain seem to moderate existential distress.

What’s the Most Dangerous Over-the-Counter Drug?

Hint: It’s not Plan B.

Resources

150 Americans Die Each Year from Tylenol's Most Active Ingredient

Tylenol can kill, and McNeil, the Johnson & Johnson-owned company that distributes it, has done startlingly little to protect its consumers over the decades.