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Is Tylenol Safe? Yes, Very

Jul 11 09:28am

Good old Tylenol®. Maybe you use this long-trusted painkiller for your menstrual cramps, headaches, or arthritis pain. Your youngster's pediatrician likely recommends it as well for children's pain, even advising multiple doses around the clock during illnesses.

But recently the FDA has called into question the safety of acetaminophen, Tylenol's active ingredient, and media reports are saying acetaminophen can damage a person's liver. So you're starting to worry that you might have harmed yourself or a loved one.

Well, STOP! Please, stop your worrying.

Acetaminophen is a truly safe medication for reducing fevers and treating pain. Unless you have a known liver disease like hepatitis, or are on medications that are themselves toxic to the liver or that already contain acetaminophen, the current dosing guidelines for Tylenol are very safe.

In fact, the most common mistake I see people make with Tylenol is under-dosing. I've heard many times from patients, "Tylenol just doesn't work for me," immediately followed by, "I only took one pill because I didn't want to take too much."

Also know this: The alternatives have risks too. Heavy use of ibuprofen (Motrin®), naprosyn (Aleve®), and others like them increase the risk of bleeding, especially from peptic ulcers.

How to feel safe when taking Tylenol

Know the proper dosages. For children, ask your pediatrician to determine a dose based on your child's current weight. Adults without liver disease may take up to 2 extra-strength tablets (2 x 500 mg) every 6 hours or up to 2 regular-strength tablets (2 x 325 mg) every 4 hours. If you have liver disease, always talk with your doctor before taking any medication for the first time.
Avoid combination pills. If, besides taking Tylenol, you are on prescription pain medications or are taking over-the-counter cold/sinus formulations, have your doctor or pharmacist determine whether you are adding too much acetaminophen on top of your regular dose.
Lock up all meds. If you have small children, it's essential to keep all drugs out of reach and in child-proof containers. No one wants a child to mistake some chewable or easy-swallow tablets for candy and consume a hazardous dose. Also, see that depressed persons don't have access to 8 or more pills at a time--that's the total number of high-dose Tylenols allowed in a day. More than that consumed at one time in a suicide attempt can sometimes prove fatal.

10 Comments Report Abuse

1. ergent216@att.net - Jul 11 12:24pm

What nonsense! Acetominophen is NOT of much use for menstrual cramps because it is not a prostaglandin inhibitor. It does nothing for inflammation, either. Acetominophen is too dangerous to be sold without a prescription and should be reserved for occasions and persons who cannot use other pain medications.

2. dockap10 - Jul 24 02:05am

Are you serious?! It's no wonder our nation is having a health crisis because we have doctors that have obvioulsy no idea how the body works or heals telling us to take known toxins to help numb us from reality. Are you just ignoring the facts that show us that NSAIDs are the #1 reason for liver problems? Or are we to believe the medical profession, that is so deeply involved in the pharmaceutical industry, is telling us the truth this time. There is a reason that when combined our "health" care model is actually the #1 killer in America. This whole model needs to change before our country can truly reform halth care. And it's not about getting more people insurance to pay for their illness and getting more people taking your drugs, it's about restoring their level of health. Something no pill will ever do!

3. alberfj - Jul 26 08:39pm

This doctor is either lying or she doesn't know what she's talking about. Tylenol is a dangerous drug that has harmed and even killed people. People also use it against fever, which is particularly dangerous. All pharmaceutical drugs should be avoided if at all possible, and Tylenol is no exception. Just becaue it is sold over the counter doeasn't man that it'is safe. .

4. isodb105 - Jul 26 09:48pm

Oh yeah, if I want advice on acetominophen, I'm going to ask someone who cuts, burns, or poisons for a living! Hopefully, people harmed will respond to this propoganda. Acetominophen makes me sick. I can't take it. Remember where this article came from.

5. cherahad22 - Jul 29 12:36pm

You are either flat out lying or you need to take course in pharmacology.
Tylenol is cumulative, it builds up in your system, never going completely away. By the time you show signs of damage, 10-20 have passed. It targets your liver and the damage is irreversible.
None of the pain relievers are without side effects or potential damage or possibility of abuse.
We and doctors are too quick to grab a pill when maybe an ice pack would have eased the pain.

Tylenol definitely not the safest pain reliever on the market today.
It's just the most highly advertized and promoted.
Just because it doesn't cause hallucinations, or get you high, doesn't mean it's the safest.
Aspirin is still the simplest and the best to take for pain and fever, hands down.

6. jlynnmcanally - Jul 31 11:55am

Tylenol safe? Johnson and Johnson certainly has done a masterful job in convincing us of that, haven't they? Ah, the wonders of advertising. ::eye roll::

In addition to the well-documented risks of liver damage, there is also quite a bit of accumulating evidence that is linking Tylenol to asthma and allergies, as well. A simple search on pubmed will yield dozens of articles.

In addition, judging from my autistic son's violent reaction to Tylenol last summer, I am almost certain that Tylenol is responsible for the alarming increase in autism, as well. Read Dr. Rosemary Waring's research on sulfation deficits in autistic kids. Some reading on glutathione depletion, and you might start to get the picture.

Ever notice that the spike in autism started right after aspirin was found to be linked to Reye's Syndrome?

Coincidence?

No, ma'am, Tylenol is most definitely NOT safe. Tylenol is without a doubt the most dangerous drug on the planet, and a big part of what makes it so dangerous is physicians such as yourself that tell us it is "safe".

7. riverlass2 - Aug 07 03:34am

My 25 year old disabled son, who was living in a group home, got sick in January 2005. He was taken to a hospital on January 19th, where he died that evening. Cause of death per the autopsy report: Severe acute drug-induced liver injury --hemorrhagic centrolobular necrosis, severe, suggestive of acetaminophen-induced liver injury. According the group home's records, he was given no more than 2 doses of either Tylenol or Robitussin per day for the 5 days preceeding his death.

8. riverlass2 - Aug 07 03:57am

9. yeoj13 - Aug 27 08:50pm

Then why do nephrologists consider damage from over the counter pain medications to be their "cash cow" for private practice. I know a few myself and they are recommending fish oil for most patients. Get with the program. Drugs are never safe. Only controlled. Take a whole bottle to see how "safe" they are. Same thing with heavy metal contamination. A little may not hurt you at one time but keep getting lead in your body or mercury and see what happens.

10. rosey4412000 - Sep 27 02:58am

People just need to chill out!! If you use Tylenol the way that it is recommended, you will be fine. Also, get into the habit of checking cold and allergy meds, etc., for acetaminophen and you won't hurt yourself. I have used Tylenol for about 30 years; I use the Arthritis Strength of Tylenol for pain --fibromyalgila and arthritis--and to help me recover from a medical treatment that I receive every three weeks. I take it around the clock, every 8 hours, for two days after the treatment, then I am fine. I also have friends with rheumatoid arthritis that use the Arthritis Strength to ease their pain, because they cannot afford the prescriptions.

People who get in trouble with Tylenol are those who take too many at once or take the dosages too soon. You MUST wait the recommended number of hours between dosages.