Lindsay Pasquale
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Tylenol Toxicity
A very commonly known over the counter medicine Tylenol, which is also
known as Acetaminophen, can cause life threatening illness. This medication is
used to treat pain and to lower fever, it is proven to be safe and effective.
Using excessive amounts of acetaminophen can lead to toxicity, which can be
accidental or purposely.
The recommended maximum dose is three grams in 24 hours. Tylenol
overdose can cause extreme damage to the liver, and is now the second most
common cause of liver failure requiring a transplant according to Medscape.
Symptoms of toxicity do not begin to show until 24-48 hours after intake of
Tylenol. After 24 hours of ingestion you may feel nauseated or vomit, poor
apatite, abdominal pain and confusion, as the hours go on the symptoms get
worse. If the liver is already damaged by alcohol use, infection, or any other
illness, a person may be more susceptible to damage by Tylenol. For that,
anyone with liver damage needs to be extra cautious with the dose they take and
even talk with their doctor before taking the medication. A person should
contact poison control, a doctor, or medical services if they suspect that
something is wrong, the earlier you treat this the better the outcome. To help
diagnose the problem the doctor will use the patient’s history, physical
examination, and laboratory test. To determine the patient’s history, the
doctor will attempt to find out the amount of acetaminophen taken, and having
access to the medication bottle could help too. The physical aspect is looking
for signs and symptoms of toxicity. Laboratory test include a blood level of
acetaminophen will be taken to determine the toxic dose. There is a possibility
that the doctor will ask for more than one blood test, and also test for other
drugs.
Acetaminophen is found in many over the counter medications and
prescription drugs. A few popular ones include; Alka-Seltzer Plus, Benadryl,
Excedrin, Midrin, Sudafed, Theraflu, Dayquil, and Vicodin. With that being
said, Tylenol is most definitely not the only medication that can be toxic.
It is common for people to take more Tylenol than the recommended
amount. Such as people who play sports, they might take an excessive amount
before a game to feel less pain during or afterwards. Even people who take pain
medication quite often or daily will start to slowly increase their dose making
them at risk. There are times when people take Tylenol when intoxicated to
decrease the chance of a hang over the next morning. The FDA currently
recommends that anyone taking medications that contain acetaminophen should not
drink alcoholic beverages.
I have always been aware of overdosing, but this is my first time
learning about Tylenol toxicity. I personally know people who take Tylenol
regularly, almost like it’s their daily medication and I knew this couldn’t be
good for them. I think if more people were educated on this subject then they
might take a step back and realize the dangers they are putting their selves
in.
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/820200-overview
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/tylenol-acetaminophen-poisoning#2-4
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