Wednesday, February 29, 2012

BEWARE TYLENOL!

Health Tip: Be cautious about taking acetaminophen, or Tylenol, on a regular basis. Acetaminophen overdosing is becoming a problem internationally, as over 600+ drugs contain acetaminophen in them. You may not be aware that your prescription or over the counter drug contains acetaminophen, so read labels carefully.

Being a member of the Union County Health board, I often hear of the health concerns for our community here in NC. Recently we have been discussing the increased incidence of Tylenol/acetaminophen overdosing and the concerns around this drug. There are many sad stories of parents unaware that  over the counter and prescription medications combine to create a toxic load to the liver. This is becoming a national concern, and I wanted to be sure and pass this information on to all of you..

Over the counter medicines (OTCs) may seem harmless, but, once you start taking more than one regularly ( i.e, Theraflu and tylenol) you may be overdosing yourself without realizing it. The statistics on this continue to rise. I think we must all go back to reading labels more carefully.

Having lived overseas for many years, I always read the medication labels very carefully, as much of the medicines ( prescription and over the counter), were unfamiliar to me. Somehow I got lazy on this since weve moved to NC, as medications are so easily accessible--and the labels appeal to immediate relief of coughs, colds, and flu symptoms. . The FDA is investigating the best way to address this concern, as so many drugs contain acetaminophen.

In the meanwhile, I hope this tip will help you, like me, be attentive to the labels on those OTC meds, and be sure you are not double dosing with anything. Here's to protecting our health!

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