Re: [UC] acetaminophen warning

[Glenn moyer]

"His theory was that he was going to, hopefully, sleep through his 2nd dosing opportunity and so he would take 4 Extra Strength Tylenol before he went to sleep." I'm very sorry to hear this.  I've heard this hangover cure too.  We don't give good information to the populace when we give "medications" to people.  But we try to scare them about the evil of unprofitable substances.  Like when Marijuana was like your brain of eggs frying in a pan. "It has been so long since his death, (over twenty years), that I do not remember all the details, but I know his parents never recovered from the loss." Liz, you bring up a good corrolary discussion for a pill poppng society.  I've known early information about this acetaminophen interaction for 10 or 15 years because I worked in health care.  With billions of doses of alcohol and Tylenol over the years, the research took many years to uncover this drug interaction.   People are popping all sorts of "safe" things and no one knows the damage caused by the interactions.  as this A. example shows, people often don't realize their actual doses of things like Calcium, iron, etc.  The research about safety takes years to uncover, so pills should not be popped without good reason! I discovered my mother taking 3 separate doses of calcium!!!!  People are doing a lot of damage with their corporate pills. Glenn -----Original Message----- From: "campio...@juno.com" Sent: Jul 1, 2009 11:24 AM To: univcity@list.purple.com Subject: Re: [UC] acetaminophen warning   I agree with Glenn. I lost a West Philly friend and neighbor to Liver Damage caused by his routine, a "hang-over remedy" of Tylenol and Beer. His theory was that he was going to, hopefully, sleep through his 2nd dosing opportunity and so he would take 4 Extra Strength Tylenol before he went to sleep. He slept through to his death. His college roommate discovered him in a coma, well past some missed deadlines, and he never woke up. I don't think his parents got any settlement, as too many people had told hid doctors that he had taken more than the recommended dose. An otherwise healthy guy in his twenties, a graduate of St. Francis de Sales and West Catholic a Catherine St neighbor, died 'abusing' Tylenol. It has been so long since his death, (over twenty years), that I do not remember all the details, but I know his parents never recovered from the loss. I still include the Maas family in my prayers and hope they all find peace. I have not taken Tylenol since. I have warned people to be wary of OTC drugs and to take warnings and recommendations seriously. I believe that any time beer, (any alcohol), plus an OTC drug can produce such devastating results, there should be some extra warning, ESPECIALLY since Tylenol is often considered a hang-over preventive or remedy. Instead, THOUSANDS of people are rushed into Emergency rooms each year for Tylenol complications, and most of us remain oblivious to its risks. Be safe.  I have many neighbors but few I'd care to lose, and none to Liver failure. Best! Liz ---------- Original Message ---------- From: Glenn moyer <glen...@earthlink.net> To: univcity@list.purple.com Subject: [UC] acetaminophen warning Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 08:29:03 -0400 (EDT) Neighbors, http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_top_stories/20090701_FDA_panel_backs_cut_in_maximum_Tylenol_dosage.html This warning is a good thing.  However, this article did not provide an additional warning about liver toxicity to those who drink alcohol, even at moderate levels.  That information is important too. As stated in the article, acetaminophen is ubiquitous in over the counter medications.  Chronic pain patients, who take it regularly, are at increased risk when adding these additional drugs.  But what is not commonly known, in my opinion, is the increased risk of overdose for those who drink alcohol. The liver enzymes which break down acetaminophen also break down alcohol.  While a half a bottle of wine may be recommended with dinner in a healthy lifestyle, a chronic pain patient using acetaminophen daily may get a toxic build up in the liver.   Years ago, I read such cases, yet the health care industry often does not probe for such common potential drug interactions for their patients. Example:  When I had wisdom teeth removed some years ago, the assistant came with the prescription while I was still goofy.  It was prescription strength acetaminophen with codeine.  I explained that short term narcotic use was fine and that I had no history of narcotic abuse.  I explained that I use alcohol and avoid acetaminophen, especially such high doses.  First, she was confused and then returned to say that there was no alternative narcotic she would give.  Knowing what they plan to prescribe, they should screen patients for common drug interactions before the surgery and they should explain such a common and expected interaction. Pharmaceutical companies wish to mask symptoms and that is why they put acetaminophen in so many over the counter drugs.  Consumers feel relief from a multitude of symptoms and buy more of their crap.  Medical providers are terrified of appropriate narcotic use for pain because of diversion by narcotic addicts.  (Opiates have risk of overdose and dependence but are not particularly toxic).  Many people do not have their pain treated appropriately in our society because of this fear by medical providers.   It's best to take a journal listing any and all drugs you take when going to any medical provider.  And be very careful about mixing all these "safe" over the counter drugs.  Even western medicine has reluctantly admitted that acupuncture can be very effective in treatment of pain for those with some chronic condition. Glenn ____________________________________________________________ Save on Criminal Lawyer Services. 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