Acetaminophen toxicity

[Guest guest]

[hsibaltimore.com]

 

....and another thing

 

She was 19 – bright, talented, and an excellent student. But she made

a fatal mistake.

 

After exceeding the recommended dosage of Extra Strength Tylenol for

three weeks to relieve toothache pain, Oklahoma University coed Madalyn

Byrne died late last month when her liver failed due to acetaminophen

toxicity.

 

Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon story. Young people out on their

own for the first time are typically unaware of the potential danger in

exceeding the recommended dosage of acetaminophen – a painkiller

that's so common and seemingly benign they might never read warnings

posted on the product packaging.

 

A few of years ago I told you about a similar tragedy with a 23-year-old

Philadelphia man named Marcus Trunk who began taking a prescription drug

that contained acetaminophen to treat a sprained wrist. When he

developed flu-like symptoms, emergency room doctors gave him further

doses of acetaminophen. Within a few days, Marcus died of liver failure

caused by acetaminophen overdose.

 

If you have children or grandchildren who are young adults just starting

their lives away from home, don't assume they're reading precautions on

common over-the-counter medications. Warn them that even the most

familiar drugs are potentially dangerous.

 

In addition, coffee intake has been shown to increase the formation of a

toxic metabolite of acetaminophen. It might take quite a bit of coffee

to prompt such a reaction, but if someone such as Madalyn is on the

verge of acetaminophen overdose, a double-espresso eye-opener on the way

to an early class might be all it takes to push past the toxic limit.

 

You can find information about an effective natural antidote for

acetaminophen poisoning in the e-Alert " Safety Measured " (12/29/05), at

this link:

http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealerts/ea200512/ea20051229.html

 

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson