Acetaminophen - Death from Your Medicine Cabinet?

In the wake of Michael Jackson's rumored prescription drug use that allegedly contributed to his premature death, warnings against acetaminophen toxicity are in the news. Are they sensationalist prattle or prudent cautioning?

When Do You Take Acetaminophen?
Acetaminophen is a popular pain reliever and fever reducer that lines the shelves in American supermarkets. You may buy it as Anacin 3, DayQuil/NyQuil, Excedrin, Fever All, Panadol, Triaminic, and of course Tylenol. Acetaminophen is a popular alternative to aspirin, which may cause side effects in some people. As such, you will see it marketed - at times - as "aspirin-free acetaminophen."

The Link between Acetaminophen Overdose and Liver Failure
WebMD reports that acetaminophen in and of itself is still a safe substance; it is when an acetaminophen overdose occurs that the risk for liver failure spikes. A 2008 article in the Medical Clinics of North America advises that an acetaminophen overdose is the leading cause for acute liver failure cases in the United States. In fact, this side effect is well known and appropriate warnings are printed on the labels of acetaminophen containing over the counter drugs.

Can Government Protect Consumers ... From Themselves?
The most commonly noted acetaminophen overdose occurs when a consumer takes two products, both of which contain acetaminophen. For example, you may get up with a raging headache, and take a couple of Tylenols; a short while later, you take DayQuil to banish your stuffy nose, and cold related pains. At this point, you have taken double the recommended dose of the pain reliever and fever reducer.

According to the Dallas Morning News, government officials are now ready to step in and seek to protect consumers from themselves. The recommendations include a reduction of the acetaminophen found in Tylenol, and the abolition of Vicodin and related prescription drugs. The government did not go so far as to approve a ban on NyQuil, another proposal that was on the table. It is now up to the FDA to act on the recommendations.

If the FDA goes along and approves the recommendations, the step may prevent roughly 42,000 emergency room visits related to an acetaminophen overdose - according to ABC News - and a number of deaths related to acute liver failure.

Guide to Safely Using Acetaminophen
While the FDA is sorting out how to keep consumers safe from acetaminophen, the U.S. National Library of Medicine suggests that consumers carefully study the labels of over the counter drugs they take, and note the dosage of acetaminophen contained therein. Do not mix and match the use of products that contain this substance, unless you discuss it with your doctor first.

Sources:
http://blogs.webmd.com/breaking-news/2009/06/acetaminophen-and-liver-injury.html; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18570942?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedreviews&logdbfrom=pubmed; http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/nation/stories/DN-tylenol_01nat.ART.State.Edition1.4c38e26.html; http://www.abcnews.go.com/Health/PainManagement/story?id=7971964&page=1; http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a681004.html