74 lines
3.1 KiB
Plaintext
74 lines
3.1 KiB
Plaintext
|
||
ACETAMINOPHENMEDICATIONALCOHOLTYLENOLDATRILDRUGSMEDICINE
|
||
ACETAMINOPHEN - MEDICATION ALERT (Mayo Clinic)
|
||
|
||
|
||
ACETAMINOPHEN - MEDICATION ALERT
|
||
--------------------------------
|
||
Issued by the Mayo Clinics health newsletter!
|
||
|
||
This Pain killer and alcohol can make a lethal combination:
|
||
says the Mayo Clinic's newsletter.
|
||
|
||
Acetaminophen has become a popular drug, especially since
|
||
1955 when it first became available without prescription in the
|
||
United States. It is best known in America by the heavily
|
||
advertised brand names Tylenol and Datril. Nevertheless, it is
|
||
present either alone or in a combination with other drugs in more
|
||
than 200 over-the-counter formulations promoted for relief of
|
||
pain, cough and colds.
|
||
|
||
In equivalent dosage, acetaminophen is just as effective as
|
||
aspirin in relieving mild pain and reducing fever. In contrast to
|
||
aspirin, acetaminophen does not irritate the stomach lining or
|
||
interfere with the role of blood platelets in controlling
|
||
bleeding from small blood vessels. Also, it has not been
|
||
associated with Reye's syndrome. For these reasons, this drug has
|
||
been heavily promoted as a safe aspirin substitute.
|
||
|
||
When taken in recommended amounts, acetaminophen is a
|
||
remarkably safe medication. Yet, if ingested in large amounts
|
||
(for example, either inadvertently or in a suicide attempt, this
|
||
drug can cause severe liver and kidney damage. Until recent
|
||
years, acetaminophen poisoning has been infrequently recognized
|
||
in America. In contrast, for reasons that are unclear, deaths
|
||
from overdosage often have been reported from the United Kingdom
|
||
(where the drug is called paracetamol).
|
||
|
||
Alcohol and acetaminophen
|
||
|
||
After excessive alcohol consumption, many people experience
|
||
abdominal distress caused by inflammation of the stomach lining
|
||
(gastritis), brought on by the alcohol. Aspirin also can cause
|
||
gastritis. Because acetaminophen does not have this effect,
|
||
people who drink heavily often use it in preference to aspirin.
|
||
|
||
When intoxicated, people often behave irrationally. Drug
|
||
overdoses are common.
|
||
|
||
Now there is some evidence that certain alcoholics may have
|
||
a particular sensitivity to the toxic effects of acetaminophen.
|
||
There are several recent reports of severe liver damage and death
|
||
in alcoholics who have taken little more than the maximum
|
||
recommended dose of acetaminophen. Although at present not all
|
||
experts agree about this possible risk, we believe that persons
|
||
who drink heavily should take acetaminophen with great caution.
|
||
Alcohol also may interact with a variety of other commonly
|
||
prescribed drugs and lead to unexpected and sometimes dangerous
|
||
effects. Our recommendation - don't mix alcohol with any
|
||
medication unless you have discussed the risks with your
|
||
physician.
|
||
|
||
Mayo Clinic Health Letter: To subscribe write
|
||
|
||
Mayo Clinic Health Letter,
|
||
Mayo Medical Resources,
|
||
Rochester, Mn
|
||
55905
|
||
|
||
Telephone 1- 507-284-4577.
|
||
|
||
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
|
||
|
||
|
||
|