Poisonings From a Popular Pain Reliever Are Rising (Tylenol Alert)

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/29/health/29cons.html?incamp=article_popular

I would have put this in LBN, but the article is 5 days old although I couldn't find anything.

Despite more than a decade's worth of research showing that taking too much of a popular pain reliever can ruin the liver, the number of severe, unintentional poisonings from the drug is on the rise, a new study reports. The drug, acetaminophen, is best known under the brand name Tylenol. But many consumers don't realize that it is also found in widely varying doses in several hundred common cold remedies and combination pain relievers.

These compounds include Excedrin, Midol Teen Formula, Theraflu, Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold Medicine, and NyQuil Cold and Flu, as well as other over-the-counter drugs and many prescription narcotics, like Vicodin and Percocet.

The authors of the study, which is appearing in the December issue of Hepatology, say the combination of acetaminophen's quiet ubiquity in over-the-counter remedies and its pairing with narcotics in potentially addictive drugs like Vicodin and Percocet can make it too easy for some patients to swallow much more than the maximum recommended dose inadvertently.

Pep Montserrat

"It's extremely frustrating to see people come into the hospital who felt fine several days ago, but now need a new liver," said Dr. Tim Davern, one of the authors and a gastroenterologist with the liver transplant program of the University of California at San Francisco. "Most had no idea that what they were taking could have that sort of effect." The numbers of poisonings, however, are still tiny in comparison with the millions of people who use over-the-counter and prescription drugs with acetaminophen.

I know I hate it when one day I feel fine and the next I need a new liver....please don't let that happen to me!

has been done, it is out there for anyone to read. Example:

1: J Clin Gastroenterol. 2005 Sep;39(8):737-42. Related Articles, Links

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16082287&query_hl=1
Treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection via antioxidants: results of a phase I clinical trial.

Melhem A, Stern M, Shibolet O, Israeli E, Ackerman Z, Pappo O, Hemed N, Rowe M, Ohana H, Zabrecky G, Cohen R, Ilan Y.

Liver Unit, Department of Medicine, Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with a defective host antiviral immune response and intrahepatic oxidative stress. Oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation play major roles in the fatty liver accumulation (steatosis) that leads to necro-inflammation and necrosis of hepatic cells. Previous trials suggested that antioxidative therapy may have a beneficial effect on patients with chronic HCV infection. AIMS: To determine the safety and efficacy of treatment of chronic HCV patients via a combination of antioxidants. \

1: Altern Med Rev. 2005 Sep;10(3):193-203. Related Articles, Links


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16164374&query_hl=3
A review of the bioavailability and clinical efficacy of milk thistle phytosome: a silybin-phosphatidylcholine complex (Siliphos).

Kidd P, Head K.

University of California, Berkeley, USA. dockidd@dockidd.com

Certain of the water-soluble flavonoid molecules can be converted into lipid-compatible molecular complexes, aptly called phytosomes. Phytosomes are better able to transition from a hydrophilic environment into the lipid-friendly environment of the outer cell membrane, and from there into the cell, finally reaching the blood. The fruit of the milk thistle plant (Silybum marianum, Family Asteraceae) contains flavonoids that are proven liver protectants. The standardized extract known as silymarin contains three flavonoids of the flavonol subclass. Silybin predominates, followed by silydianin and silychristin. Although silybin is the most potent of the flavonoids in milk thistle, similar to other flavonoids it is not well-absorbed. Silybin-phosphatidylcholine complexed as a phytosome provides significant liver protection and enhanced bioavailability over conventional silymarin.

PMID: 16164374

"sily."

Ducking and running for cover - sorry, those "sily" words have always cracked me up.

But, yes, I have read about these liver protectors before.

preserve their lives, actually work to shorten them in other ways... and why isn't this info out on the front pages of every major newspaper?? Because these natural supplements cannot be patented.


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15501479&query_hl=12
1: Life Sci. 2004 Nov 19;76(1):47-56. Related Articles, Links

AZT induces oxidative damage to cardiac mitochondria: protective effect of vitamins C and E.

de la Asuncion JG, Del Olmo ML, Gomez-Cambronero LG, Sastre J, Pallardo FV, Vina J.

Departament of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, University Clinical Hospital, Valencia, Spain.

AZT (zidovudine) is a potent inhibitor of HIV replication and a major antiretroviral drug used for AIDS treatment. A major limitation in the use of AZT is the occurrence of severe side effects. The aim of this work was to test whether AZT causes oxidative damage to heart mitochondria and whether this can be prevented by supranutritional doses of antioxidant vitamins. An experimental animal model was used in which mice were treated with AZT for 35 days (10 mg/kg/day) in drinking water. Animals treated with antioxidant vitamins were fed the same diet as controls but supplemented with vitamins C (ascorbic acid, 10 g/ kg diet) and E (alpha-dl-tocopherol, 0.6 g/kg diet) for 65 days before sacrifice. This resulted in a daily intake of 1250 mg/kg/day (vitamin C) and 75 mg/kg/day (vitamin E). Cardiac mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of mice treated with AZT had over 120% more oxo-dG (8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine, which is a biomarker of oxidative damage to DNA) in their mitochondrial DNA than untreated controls. AZT treatment also caused an increase in mitochondrial lipid peroxidation and an oxidation of mitochondrial glutathione. Dietary supplementation with supranutritional doses of the antioxidant vitamins C and E protected against these signs of mitochondrial oxidative stress. The oxidative effects of AZT are probably due to an increase in production of reactive oxygen species by mitochondria of AZT-treated animals, raising the possibility that oxidative stress may play an important role in the cardiotoxicity of AZT.

PMID: 15501479

I have terrible headaches on a very frequent basis and execedrin migraine is my drug of choice. So, my medicine cabinet will be stocked with milk thistle. I already take alph lipoic acid. Thanks so much :pals:

Tylenol, when taken in large enough amounts can FUCK YOU up, and I don't care what liver protecters you are using. Read the label. Follow your doctor's advice if you have chronic pain. There are limits to how much tylenol you should take on a daily basis. It's generallly recommended to no more than 4 gms a day. (4000mg) If you have liver damage less, and sometimes none. One extra strength tylenol is 500mg. One regular vicodin is 500mg plus 5mg of hydrocodone. Some vicodin has 750mg. A tab. No one wants fuliment liver failure because there were popping tylenol like candy.

too easy for someone to gulp down
an overdose.

1. My mother ended up in the hospital a couple years ago with bad kidneys. She had been taking Tylenol for her arthritis. But she is senile and doesn't have arthritis. It almost killed her.

2. A kid at my school had hepatitis when she was in 2nd grade. They told her mom to NEVER give her Tylenol. But Mom didn't speak English and bought some cold meds that had aceteminophen in them. 4 years after the hepatitis, the girl got a cold and took some of the meds Mom had bought. She nearly died. A liver transplant saved her.

I never buy the stuff anymore.

minerals.... while this sort of thing goes on daily.