Dr Bob the Health Builder
Weekly Newsletter for Wealthy Healthy Wise
Vignettes to make Life a Little Better and More Prosperous
How would you like to accidentally commit suicide?
This seems like a silly question but everyone should give serious thought to this question because it happens every year to some people.
In this newsletter we are only going to consider Tylenol (trade name)/ acetaminophen but there are many other over the counter drugs that can cause death or disability.
Accidental suicide? How can this happen?
The most common over the counter drug is Tylenol/acetaminophen because it is in so many products, including some narcotic pain relievers. The following article is from this website
http://hepatitis.about.com/b/a/235340.htm
Acetaminophen Dangers
Acetaminophen, the active ingredient in many pain relievers, can cause drug-induced hepatitis and acute liver failure. According to a December 2005 report, it is now the leading cause of acute liver failure in the United States.
Most people know that acetaminophen is the active ingredient in Tylenol. Many people don't realize that acetaminophen can be found in many other over-the-counter and prescription medications, including Percocet and Vicodin. Over 100 people a year die of acetaminophen overdose and others may require a liver transplant to survive.
If this isn't enough to make you read labels and watch your intake of Tylenol, then maybe the following article will get your attention.
Mixing Tylenol with Caffeine May Increase Liver Risk
Consuming large amounts of caffeine while taking acetaminophen, one of the most widely used painkillers in the United States, could potentially cause liver damage, according to a preliminary laboratory study reported in the Oct. 15 print issue of ACS' Chemical Research in Toxicology, a monthly journal. The toxic interaction could occur not only from drinking caffeinated beverages while taking the painkiller but also from using large amounts of medications that intentionally combine caffeine and acetaminophen for the treatment of migraine headaches, menstrual discomfort and other conditions, the researchers say.
Health experts have warned for years that consuming excess alcohol while taking acetaminophen can trigger toxic interactions and cause liver damage and even death. However, this is the first time scientists have reported a potentially harmful interaction while taking the painkiller with caffeine, the researchers say.
While the studies are preliminary findings conducted in bacteria and laboratory animals, they suggest that consumers may want to limit caffeine intake -- including energy drinks and strong coffee -- while taking acetaminophen.
Chemist Sid Nelson, Ph.D., and colleagues, of the University of Washington in Seattle, tested the effects of acetaminophen and caffeine on E. coli bacteria genetically engineered to express a key human enzyme in the liver that detoxifies many prescription and nonprescription drugs. The researchers found that caffeine triples the amount of a toxic byproduct, N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI), that the enzyme produces while breaking down acetaminophen. This same toxin is responsible for liver damage and failure in toxic alcohol-acetaminophen interactions, they say.
In previous studies, the same researchers showed that high doses of caffeine can increase the severity of liver damage in rats with acetaminophen-induced liver damage, thus supporting the current finding.
"People should be informed about this potentially harmful interaction," Nelson says. "The bottom line is that you don't have to stop taking acetaminophen or stop taking caffeine products, but you do need to monitor your intake more carefully when taking them together, especially if you drink alcohol."
Nelson points out that the bacteria used in the study were exposed to 'mega doses' of both acetaminophen and caffeine, much higher than most individuals would normally consume on a daily basis. Most people would similarly need to consume unusually high levels of these compounds together to have a dangerous effect, but the toxic threshold has not yet been determined, he says.
Certain groups may be more vulnerable to the potentially toxic interaction than others, Nelson says. This includes people who take certain anti-epileptic medications, including carbamazepine and Phenobarbital, and those who take St. John's Wort, a popular herbal supplement. These products have been shown to boost levels of the enzyme that produces the toxic liver metabolite NAPQI, an effect that will likely be heightened when taking both acetaminophen and caffeine together, he says.
Likewise, people who drink a lot of alcohol may be at increased risk for the toxic interaction, Nelson says. That's because alcohol can trigger the production of yet another liver enzyme that produces the liver toxin NAPQI. The risks are also higher for those who take large amounts of medications that combine both acetaminophen and caffeine, which are often used together as a remedy for migraine headaches, arthritis and other conditions.
The researchers are currently studying the mechanism by which this toxic interaction occurs and are considering human studies in the future, they say. The National Institutes of Health funded the initial animal and bacterial studies.
What is the bottom line with Tylenol? The best thing is to not take it most of the time when you find yourself reaching you bottle. There are many times we have a headache or pain that we could pass on any drugs thus avoiding an over dose.
Some time we need some pain relief but then what is the best thing to do?
All drugs are toxic but each usually work in different ways when the liver is involved. One of the many drug courses that I have taken from pharmaceutical professors has warned us about the dangers of Tylenol or Ibuprofen (Advil) - meaning both can be dangerous. To avoid extra toxicity by taking two Tylenol or two Ibuprofen, the suggestion is to take one Tylenol and one Ibuprofen together so there is less toxicity but actually more pain relief - almost the same relief as taking narcotic.
This suggestion is safe, simple, and inexpensive.
To You Good Health,
Dr Bob the Health builder
1501 N. Grand, Suite D
Box 192
Gainesville, TX 76240
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