Why is acetaminophen so dangerous when other over-the-counter drugs aren’t being singled out?
All over-the-counter medications have an effect on the body, so none of them should be taken without carefully weighing their benefits and risks. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin (Bayer), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), and naproxen (Aleve) have been found to raise blood pressure and have been linked to gastrointestinal bleeding in some patients, for example.
Part of the issue with acetaminophen is that people take it so frequently and without thinking about its dosages or consequences. Tylenol and Excedrin often are commonly thought of as the “safest” painkillers a person can take -- and take them people do, often excessively. The FDA panel voted to remove some prescription painkillers from the market based on evidence that suggests that people often increase their Vicodin or Percocet dosage in order to get more pain relief without realizing that they may be giving themselves a toxic dose of acetaminophen.
The problem is that acetaminophen is found in a great many other over-the-counter and prescription medications, including cough and cold remedies and prescription painkillers. So a person might be prescribed one of these prescriptions pain medications or be taking an OTC cough syrup, and then he or she begins taking Tylenol or Excedrin in addition to these to handle headaches or other symptoms. This means patients might be taking more acetaminophen than they are aware of, and unwittingly damaging their liver and their health
What drugs contain acetaminophen?
Besides the popular Tylenol and Excedrin, the following is a partial list of over-the-counter medicines that contain acetaminophen.
- Vicks Nyquil Multi-Symptom
- Tylenol Cold
- Co-APAP
- Tylenol Cold Day/Night
- Contac Severe Cold & Flu
- Theraflu Nighttime Maximum Strength
- Comtrex Cold & Cough
- Comtrex Cold & Cough Nighttime
- Kolephrin/DM
- Contac Day/Night Cold & Flu
- Tylenol Cold Head Congestion
- Tylenol Cold Multi-Symptom
- Rite Aid Multi-Symptom Cold NightTime
- Night Time Multi-Symptom Cold/Flu
- Nighttime Cold
