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An excerpt from the Johns Hopkins Medical Letter: Health After 50

"Safe" pain reliever causes 40% of
acute liver failure!

Acetaminophen is the active ingredient in painkillers (such as Tylenol), cough medicines, sleep aids, and more than 400 over-the-counter (OTC), and prescription products. When used correctly, it is one of the safest and most effective drugs on the market.

So why did a recent major study find that acetaminophen accounted for nearly 40% of patients hospitalized for acute liver failure? That's far more than any other cause of liver failure, and a great concern because liver damage can happen very quickly and may prove fatal without a liver transplant.

The fine line between safe and deadly

Overdosing on acetaminophen is easier than with other painkillers. The recommended daily maximum dosage is 4,000 mg (4g) daily. Exceeding this by only 20% for even one day can result in liver injury and rapidly deteriorating liver function in healthy people. Some recover completely with proper treatment, while others will die without a liver transplant.

Avoid these 4 common mistakes:

1. Inadvertently taking two products with acetaminophen together. Since the drug is found in over 400 products, you can easily exceed the maximum dosage.

2. Thinking "more is better." Many people deliberately take more than the recommended dosage or take the next dose too soon after the previous one.

3. Combining alcohol with acetaminophen. Alcohol increases production of the enzyme that makes acetaminophen toxic to the liver. If you drink alcohol and take acetaminophen you can overdose even at the recommended dosage.

4. Taking it for much longer than the recommended period of time. If you are in chronic pain, talk to your doctor. There are often much safer and more effective alternatives.

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