All Medications Have Risks

Health care providers have known for a long time that one of the safest medications available still had its risks. Liver damage.

The liver is the detoxification plant of the body. Without it, you can't live. People in general disregard the liver - who thinks about sewage treatment plants on a regular basis? Until it doesn't work, it's out of sight, out of mind.

A huge consequence of this 'safe' medication is teenagers who 'attempt' suicide by overdose with acetaminophen. They don't realize the damage caused to the liver is a life long result of a short-sighted action.

Personally, I and many other health professionals hope that stronger warnings will bring these risks to the general public and maybe save some people severe, life-long (or life-short) pain and suffering.

clipped from www.msnbc.msn.com FDA recommends acetaminophen warnings NEW YORK - A Food and Drug Administration report released Wednesday recommends stronger warnings and dose limits on drugs containing the painkiller acetaminophen, citing an increased risk of liver injury. "There is extensive evidence that hepatotoxicity (liver toxicity) caused by acetaminophen use may result from lack of consumer awareness that acetaminophen can cause severe liver injury," the working group report said. "Consumers may not be aware that acetaminophen is present in many over-the-counter combination products, so they may unknowingly exceed the recommended acetaminophen dose if they take more than one acetaminophen product without knowing that both contain acetaminophen," the report said. The recommendations also call for limiting the maximum adult daily dose to no more than 3,250 milligrams, limiting tablet strength for immediate release formulations, and limiting options in liquid formulations for children.