Tylenol has been treated as a safe and trusted brand health relief over the counter for more than 50 years. But the popular painkiller drug Tylenol may not be as safe as once beielived, as it seems to be changing its labels to warn the users of its dangers. Of course, this makeover is a result of many personal injury lawsuits against the company. According to the Associated Press (AP), so many Tylenol users these days are suffering major liver damage or dying that the drug's manufacturer, McNeil Consumer Healthcare, has decided to put a large, red warning label on the cap that informs users about the drug's risks.
Even when taken at recommended doses, acetaminophen, the primary active ingredient in Tylenol, can cause major damage to the liver, potentially leading to liver failure and even death. In fact, acetaminophen is currently the leading cause of sudden liver failure in the U.S., as its toxic metabolites have been shown to kill liver cells. The drug is so toxic that as many as 80,000 people are rushed to the emergency room annually due to acetaminophen poisoning, and another 500-or-so end up dead from liver failure.
These are disturbing figures that might come as a surprise to most people, especially considering that millions of Americans pop Tylenol and acetaminophen-containing drugs on a regular basis. But with more than 85 personal injury lawsuits and counting filed against the company in federal court, McNeil is feeling the heat from a drug that has long been claimed as one of the safest painkiller drugs on the market, which it clearly is not.
"The warning will make it explicitly clear that the over-the-counter drug contains acetaminophen, a pain-relieving ingredient that's the nation's leading cause of sudden liver failure," writes Matthew Perrone for the AP. "The new cap is designed to grab the attention of people who don't read warnings that already appear in the fine print on the product's label, according to company executives."
The new label, which will bear the phrases "CONTAINS ACETAMINOPHEN" and "ALWAYS READ THE LABEL," is set to first appear on all bottles of Extra Strength Tylenol, which contains more than 50 percent more acetaminophen per dose than regular strength Tylenol. And in the coming months, all bottles of Tylenol, including regular strength Tylenol, will bear the new label.
Drugs that contain Acetamimophen other than Tylenol
NyQuil, Sudafed, Excedrin and many other common drugs also contain acetaminophen
Despite the new label, McNeil, which is owned by drug giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J), insists that Tylenol is safe when taken as directed. But what the company fails to admit is that many people are taking not only Tylenol but also other drugs that contain acetaminophen, which increases their dose of the chemical to levels that are much higher than they probably realize.
Conclusion
The end result is really to watch out what we choose to take internally, especially when it comes to pharmaceutical drugs. They all have severe impact on our body and organs. We may not feel it right away, as many have accumulating affects upon the organs, resulting in detrimental affects later on in life.
Especial Caution
Very particular caution needs to be made when any pharmaceutical drugs given to babies or children, as their body is much more vulnerable. Please try to not give any if possible and leave that as a last resort. Instead it is best to strengthen the immunity so that the body could take care of its own needs and issues. This would stand true for adults as well. As a society we have become pharmaceutical drug users far too much even when we can do without. This results in many different kinds of health issues as these drugs will place affects upon the organs.