Acetaminophen: Goodbye my Painkiller

Acetaminophen, one of the most commonly used painkillers in the US is going under a little scrutiny lately by the FDA.

Whats going to happen to it?

Really nothing major, they are talking about lowering the reccomended dosage for items that contain it such as Extra Strenght Tylenol. There is also a possibility of certain higher dosages being made into perscription only, however very few current over the counter drugs will suffer this fate.

Why the fuss?

Recently it was discovered that Acetaminophen in large enough doses can cause liver failure, with hundreds experiencing this issue in the US annualy. Another issue is the risk of overdosing, which it is believed that lowering the dosage will not actually resolve, however over 100 people die annualy from overdosing, not always intentionally.

What is the big issue with it right now?

Currently, the FDA agrees the painkiller is safe, inside of recomended dosages, but not all over the counter drugs properly state how much Acetaminophen they contain typically.

What does this meen for me and what can I do?

What this really means for everyone is most over the counter pain killers will still be available, and will still contain Acetaminophen, it will just come with smaller ammounts or smaller recomended dosages. Just make sure you continue checking for the recomended ammount whenever taking any medication, the labels will be updated accordingly.

On one last note, ignore everything you hear about Tylenol being dangerous!

Many fear mongers love to find the consideration in newly found potential health hazards in medication. It is a fear many have, a strange new side effect from your medecine. This is not a concern with Acetaminophen, there is always a hazard with overdosing on anything, and Acetaminophen is just having it’s recomended ammount lowered as a further precaution.

Image via Wikipedia