Tylenol dangers

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Story Published: Jul 1, 2009 at 5:14 PM MST

Story Updated: Jul 1, 2009 at 5:14 PM MST

By Hasti Taghi

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IDAHO FALLS - Tylenol. It's one of the most commonly used over-the-counter drugs. It relieves everything from minor aches and pains to Arthritis. But this seemingly harmless pain killer could be dangerous to your health.

"When you get too much of it, you can cause liver damage," says Clint Rohner, Clinical Pharmacist.

The ingredient, Acetaminophen.

"Acetaminophen is the generic name for Tylenol," says Rohner.

But that's not the only thing with that ingredient. It is also in all of these bottles. The most important thing, read the instructions. This label reads "don't take more than the recommended use." This one, "take no more than eight per day." And possibly most important, "don't take with other Acetaminophen drugs."

You may think taking an over-the-counter drug like this one, with Tylenol would be safe. When you look at the active ingredients, Acetaminophen is Tylenol. So, combining the two could mean an overdose.

"In general people use Tylenol well and it's rare to have someone coming in who has complications of taking too much Tylenol for everyday aches and pains," Andy Garrity, EIRMC ER physician.

But the Food and Drug Administration doesn't want to leave that risk. It's trying to reduce the dosage of acetaminophen in medications and eliminate it in combination drugs. The big thing to watch for...

"If you have chronic liver problems, then you really need to minimize Tylenol use," says Garrity.

"Short term use, as long as you stay within those recommended guidelines is very safe," says Rohner.

And if the FDA does reduce that dosage, it's not a good idea to take twice as much to make up the difference.

For your own safety, it's a good idea to consult your pharmacist even when taking over-the-counter medication.

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