That longtime staple of medicine cabinets, acetaminophen, appears to be under fire. Used to treat headaches, muscle aches and seemingly every other ache Americans have, the drug -- found most notably in the brand name pain reliever Tylenol -- has recently been called a potential danger to the millions of people who take it.
But the drug itself hasn't changed. Nor have the number of problems associated with it. The only new element is public attention to its risks.
A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee met late last month to review the actions the agency could take to reduce accidental acetaminophen poisoning. The drug, also found in over-the-counter cold formulas and pain-relieving prescription favorites Vicodin and Percocet, is the most common cause of acute liver failure in the U.S.
In acute liver failure, the organ fails quickly, sometimes in 48 hours, as opposed to the more usual forms of liver failure, caused by disease or alcoholism, which can take years to develop.
Taking too much acetaminophen does not always cause liver failure. In 2008, the California Poison Control System logged 16,352 cases of suspected acetaminophen overdose, according to the agency's executive director, Stuart Heard. Most cases were not serious, but more than 4,000 people were hospitalized. Of those, 156 suffered serious medical outcomes, such as liver transplants, and 14 people died.
Some of the serious cases occurred in people who were either trying to harm themselves or were abusing acetaminophen-containing drugs to get high. But other cases happen accidentally, such as a child exploring the medicine cabinet. Inadvertent overdose can happen by taking a combination of over-the-counter medicines, such as Tylenol, a cold remedy and a sleep aid, all which may contain acetaminophen.
Of nearly 8,000 cases of actual acetaminophen overdose in California last year, 4,368 were unintentional.
Acetaminophen is a very safe drug when taken at recommended doses. But many people don't take it at such doses. The sheer ubiquitousness of the stuff makes many consumers overlook its dangers.
Here's a Closer Look at acetaminophen:
How does acetaminophen damage the liver?
The liver's job is to process foreign substances, such as medicines, which are broken down and cleared from the body.
