Why is Acetaminophen in the News Lately?
You may have read recently or seen on you national news program that the FDA has revealed some new concerns about acetaminophen use. Acetaminophen is the pain reliever found in Tylenol, Excedrin, and prescription products like Vicodin and Percocet. Several other over the counter medications besides Tylenol, which is what normally comes to mind, contain acetaminophen. Many drugs labeled “cold and flu” contain acetaminophen, such as NyQuil and DayQuil. This is what gives them their pain-relieving and fever-reducing properties.
The concern is that people have been “doubling-up” on acetaminophen by taking it for body aches, head aches and fever-reduction in the form of Tylenol, then taking NyQuil for cough, congestion, and sleep aid. The result has been devastating. The FDA reports that 110,000 people visit the emergency room each year due to reactions from high levels of acetaminophen. Most of these cases are accidental. Acetaminophen is currently the number one cause of acute liver failure resulting in the necessity of liver transplant, according to Ronald Busuttil of UCLA Medical Center.
An FDA joint advisory committee is looking in to ways to better label drugs containing acetaminophen to warn consumers of the risk of overdose. They also recommend that the ingredient be removed from certain narcotic drugs.
We here at Collins Chiropractic wish you the very best of health and encourage you to know what you are putting in your body. We want to make sure this issue is reaching our patients and readers so you know to look for acetaminophen on drug labels, or to avoid it all together when possible because even though it is available over the counter, it is still a drug. Keep yourself healthy by doing the things you know are good for you. Eat a diet rich in nutritious whole foods, move your body through exercise that is tolerable to you, engage in activities and practices that lower your level of emotional stress, and get adjusted! A healthy, functioning nervous system will go a long way toward keeping you well!
In Good Health,
Dr. Collins