Tylenol dosages changed

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- Johnson & Johnson said Thursday that it's reducing the maximum daily dose of its Extra Strength Tylenol pain reliever to lower risk of accidental overdose from acetaminophen, its active ingredient and the top cause of liver failure.

The company's McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division said the change affects Extra Strength Tylenol sold in the U.S. -- one of many products in short supply in stores due to a string of recalls.

Starting sometime this fall, labels on Extra Strength Tylenol packages will now list the maximum daily dose as six pills, or a total of 3,000 milligrams, down from eight pills a day, or 4,000 milligrams. Beginning next year, McNeil will also reduce the maximum daily dose for its Regular Strength Tylenol and other adult pain relievers containing acetaminophen, the most widely used pain killer in the country.

Besides Tylenol, acetaminophen is the active ingredient in the prescription painkillers Percocet and Vicodin and in some nonprescription pain relievers, including NyQuil and some Sudafed products. It's found in thousands of medicines taken for headaches, fever, sore throats and chronic pain.

But people taking multiple medicines at once don't always realize how much acetaminophen they are ingesting, partly because prescription drug labels often list it under the abbreviation "APAP."

Two years ago, a panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration called for sweeping restrictions to prevent accidental fatal overdoses of acetaminophen.

Then in January, the FDA said it would cap the amount of acetaminophen in Vicodin, Percocet and other prescription pain killers at 325 milligrams per capsule -- just under half the 700 milligram maximum of some products on the market then. The agency also said it was working with pharmacies and other medical groups to develop standard labeling for acetaminophen.

"Acetaminophen is safe when used as directed," Dr. Edwin Kuffner, McNeil's head of over-the-counter medical affairs, said in a statement. "McNeil is revising its labels for products containing acetaminophen in an attempt to decrease the likelihood of accidental overdosing."

Excessive use of acetaminophen can cause liver damage. In the U.S., it's blamed for about 200 fatal overdoses and sends 56,000 people to the emergency room each year.

(Emphasis is mine)

Comments

Please be careful when using over the counter medications for life's aches and pains.  All drugs including even the "safest" over the counter non-prescription drugs have serious side effects.  As stated in this article, it is difficult at times to understand when you are doubling or even tripling the safe dosage. 

Taking an occasional dose of over the counter pain killers is not an issue but when you are buying Maximum Strength painkillers in the economy package, it is really time to think about the side effects and may be time to give us a call.   Chiropractic is a drug-free treatment for many conditions.  

Some interesting studies on chiropractic

For Low Back Pain Chiropractic Care is More Effective than Muscle Relaxing Drugs

Following two weeks of treatment, chiropractic patients have more than a 50 percent greater decrease in low back pain, compared to patients treated with muscle relaxant drugs.  (Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, July-August 2004.)  

Chiropractic Care May Reduce Neck Pain by Nearly 80 Percent

A single 30-second treatment with manual therapy has been shown to decrease neck pain, on average, by 78 percent. Source: Physiotherapy, 2003 November; 89(11):666-674.

Research Shows Migraine Headaches are Relieved by Chiropractic

   Participants in a migraine research trial were reviewed for symptoms and clinical features and their response to chiropractic spinal adjustments. 

   The subjects who received chiropractic spinal adjustments responded dramatically with numerous symptoms either eliminated or substantially reduced.         

   Average frequency of migraine headaches was reduced on average by 90%, duration of each episode was reduced by 38%, and use of medication was reduced by 94%.

Tension Headaches???

Tension headaches are one of the most common types of headaches.  Everyone has occasional tension headaches but if the headache occurs two or more times weekly for several months or longer the condition is considered chronic.
Tension headaches are dull, pressure-like and are worse in the scalp, temples of back of the neck.   They can become as severe as a migraine but are different in that they are usually not one-sided and rarely involve visual distrubances.

They result from contraction of the scalp and neck muscles.  One cause is a response to emotional stress but physical stress that causes vertebral misalignment  or muscle tension is more often the culprit.  Any activity that causes the head to be held in one position for a long time without moving can cause a tension headache. 

In chronic tension headaches, the vertebral misalignments and muscle contractions become cyclic aggravated by many daily activities like typing, driving or knitting.  Stressors such as smoking, alcohol use caffeine or sinus irritation compound the problem.  Most home therapies will not break the cycle at this level. 

However, there is no reason to suffer with tension headaches. Tension headaches respond quickly to chiropractic treatment, massage and acupuncture. 

Stretch the opposite way first

To properly strengthen the muscles of your upper back, which help pull your shoulders and head back for better posture, you should stretch your chest muscles first. Most people have overly contracting chest muscles that inhibit or turn off the upper back muscles. If you stretch the chest first, this will allow the upper back muscles to fire at a higher rate. Try it.