Tylenol (acetaminophen) is the most popular over-the-counter pain reliever in the United States and around the world. For more than half a century, millions of adults and children have used the drug to treat everything from headaches to fevers.
Tylenol helps countless people deal with pain and recover from illness. It is most effective in the treatment of minor aches and pains, but is also used for long-term chronic pain like arthritis.
Unfortunately, Tylenol also comes with some very serious risks. Because Tylenol is so widely available over the counter, many people assume it is harmless. This is not the case. The maximum dose in a 24-hour period is 4,000 mg, and accidental overdose is a serious problem. Taking too much Tylenol or other medications containing acetaminophen can cause hepatitis and liver failure.
Accidental Overdose
Consumers may overdose on Tylenol without intending to. They may take two or more medications containing acetaminophen, without realizing it. For example, if someone has the flu, they may take cold medicine and Tylenol, or a decongestant and Tylenol.
What they may not realize is that both products contain acetaminophen, and that they have ingested far more than the maximum dosage. As these compounds build up in the body, the liver gets overloaded and begins producing a toxic compound called NAPQI. Too much NAPQI causes liver damage and can lead to death.
Patients who drink or take certain medications along with Tylenol are at greater risk for liver damage.
If you have any symptoms of liver problems, including dark urine or yellow skin, you should talk to a doctor immediately. Without a liver transplant, patients with acute liver failure are likely to die.
Liver Failure Leads to Lawsuits
Some lawsuits have been filed by patients who believe their liver failure resulted from insufficient warnings about the dangers of Tylenol, including one woman whose liver failed after she took normal doses while fasting, and a family whose 1-year-old died after taking infants’ Tylenol. Federal lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson subsidiary McNeil Laboratories are pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
In response, the FDA has required manufacturers to limit the amount of acetaminophen in their products and add warnings about liver failure to the packaging.
Tylenol does have other side effects, including poor interactions with alcohol and the possibility that harmful toxins from the drug could pass from mothers to babies in the womb. Like many drugs, it can also cause nausea, rash or allergic reactions.
The best way to keep yourself safe is to be careful when choosing medications, monitor the amount of acetaminophen you ingest, and be aware of the risk of liver damage.
Jennifer Mesko joined Drugwatch.com in 2012. She keeps consumers informed about the dangerous side effects of drugs and medical devices.
Drug side-effects are one of the most commonly dealt with issues by NDs. Many patients are unaware that everyday over-the-counter medications can cause mild and sometimes chronic problems, dangerous side-effects or contraindicate other medications. This article on Tylenol comes to BCNA from Drugwatch, a portal website with a wide range of patient-focussed drug info.
Keeping the Bugs at Bay this Winter Season
All Posts, BCNA news, VancouverDr. Juliet Ghodsian, ND shares these 5 steps to keep your terrain clean and functional this winter. The end result is a happier and healthier you.
A French physiologist, Claude Bernard, once said “The Terrain is everything, the germ is nothing.”
An interesting thought, but what does that mean?
It means that simple exposure to a bacteria or virus does not mean you will get sick.
But isn’t that contrary to most of our beliefs about hygiene and health?
…Wash your hands! Don’t put your fingers in your mouth. Flu season is coming!
Let’s take a step back and explain the most important words in the quote:
Terrain.
The Terrain refers to the internal environment in your body: mucous membranes, digestion, detoxification and elimination organs, immune system cells, and energy production cells.
Germs.
These can be bacteria, fungi or viruses.
We are covered with germs inside and out all the time! Why do some bugs make us sick, but not others? Why did you get sick but not your neighbour?
The answer is simple. The health of the Terrain of your body determines how responsive your immune system will be to infection, and how effective it is at beating it. Boosting your immune health to keep the bugs at bay this winter involves more steps than just “Take some extra vitamin C!”
Here are the top 5 things you can do to clean up your Terrain and super-charge your immune cells for the fall and winter season:
This article by Dr. Juliet Ghodsian, a licensed naturopathic doctor at Sage Clinic in Vancouver’s Yaletown neighbourhood. www.drghodsian.com
Does Bad Diet Cause Bad Behavior?
All Posts, BCNA news, Campbell RiverThis article by Dr. Ingrid Pincott, ND originally appeared in the North Island Midweek.
How is the school year going so far? If you are noticing bad or violent behavior in your children here are a few things to think about to help curb this disturbing trend.
Taking enough of the above nutrients to be therapeutic is important so check with your naturopathic physician about optimal dosages for you and your family and inventive ways of getting your child or teenager to take them! Of course when you treat your child the whole family benefits!
Acupuncture: A Practical and Proven Chinese Treatment
All Posts, BCNA newsJust as some of us take our cars into the shop before parts break down, so can we go to a naturopathic doctor for regular health maintenance. Most licensed NDs in BC provide acupuncture. Gathering information takes only 10 to 15 minutes and results in a customized prescription involving a combination of any of the following: needles, laser, magnets, acupuncture, moxibustion (radiant heat), cupping, acupressure or Qigong.
Acupuncture was originally introduced to the West as a form of anesthesia and pain control. But on closer examination, it has a much broader use in treating conditions such as high cholesterol, fatigue, diabetes, anxiety, depression and insomnia. Acupuncture is also a tool for general disease prevention and health promotion. It is with this final approach in mind that early Chinese writings remind us that a primary role of the physician is to prevent illness from occurring; hence, the attending physician is paid so long as the patient stays healthy. (This is admirable to say the least, but unlikely to happen today unless you work for royalty!)
Usually only one or two sessions with a practitioner licensed to provide acupuncture are needed for an uncomplicated health tune-up. The accomplished acupuncturist, in “grasping the essence” of the person’s energy pattern, applies the treatment with tong shen ming (penetrating divine illumination). Amazingly, China’s master acupuncturists grasp this essence using only one needle at the most efficacious point as the total treatment. Students of acupuncture are told to strive for this so that over their careers, they begin with 10 to 12 needles for a treatment and eventually gain the mastery of using only a few needles for the same results.
Identification of a problem using TCM (for example, in the liver) does not mean that the liver has a Western-style disease pathology. The TCM “liver” describes a particular system of function within the body that can be disturbed but does not show up on standard blood tests. The Chinese approach, besides spotting early warning signs, is most helpful for those individuals who “just don’t feel well” or have symptoms for which all the standard medical tests show negative results. The following are the diagnostic tools used to assess the body’s imbalances in Chinese medicine.
Best Times for a Tune-Up
Sometimes life creates increased stresses and strains on the body and mind, and each emotion affects a particular organ. Organ strain can also result from seasonal changes, and an individual’s weak season is determined by signs in the body’s energy rhythms. (In China, acupuncture is traditionally used in the warmer months versus herbal treatment during the winter.) We all have one inherent weakness from birth: liver, heart, spleen, lung or kidney, so it’s important to pay attention to inherent organ weakness. In all these cases, acupuncture is effective for balancing and strengthening both mind and body.
Acupuncture utilizes the messages that our bodies constantly give us through a rich and decipherable language. Paying attention to those messages provides a means for keeping the mind and body whole and renewing the connection to nature.
About the Author
A licensed naturopathic doctor and professor at the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine in Vancouver, Dr Paul Levendusky runs a private practice in White Rock, BC.
Acupuncture in BC
Naturopathic doctors have been licensed in BC since 1923. NDs have been providing acupuncture in BC longer than any other health discipline. The regulatory college oversees acupuncture education for NDs. This includes certified evidence of a minimum of 200 hours of study in Traditional Oriental Medicine, which must include: Syndrome differentiation and formulation of point prescriptions; Traditional acupuncture anatomy, physiology and pathology; Acupuncture and Moxibustion techniques and point location. Additionally, there must be certified evidence of a minimum of 50 hours of supervised clinical training by a licensed acupuncturist or TCM practitioner.
Complications with Acetaminophen
All Posts, BCNA newsTylenol (acetaminophen) is the most popular over-the-counter pain reliever in the United States and around the world. For more than half a century, millions of adults and children have used the drug to treat everything from headaches to fevers.
Tylenol helps countless people deal with pain and recover from illness. It is most effective in the treatment of minor aches and pains, but is also used for long-term chronic pain like arthritis.
Unfortunately, Tylenol also comes with some very serious risks. Because Tylenol is so widely available over the counter, many people assume it is harmless. This is not the case. The maximum dose in a 24-hour period is 4,000 mg, and accidental overdose is a serious problem. Taking too much Tylenol or other medications containing acetaminophen can cause hepatitis and liver failure.
Accidental Overdose
Consumers may overdose on Tylenol without intending to. They may take two or more medications containing acetaminophen, without realizing it. For example, if someone has the flu, they may take cold medicine and Tylenol, or a decongestant and Tylenol.
What they may not realize is that both products contain acetaminophen, and that they have ingested far more than the maximum dosage. As these compounds build up in the body, the liver gets overloaded and begins producing a toxic compound called NAPQI. Too much NAPQI causes liver damage and can lead to death.
Patients who drink or take certain medications along with Tylenol are at greater risk for liver damage.
If you have any symptoms of liver problems, including dark urine or yellow skin, you should talk to a doctor immediately. Without a liver transplant, patients with acute liver failure are likely to die.
Liver Failure Leads to Lawsuits
Some lawsuits have been filed by patients who believe their liver failure resulted from insufficient warnings about the dangers of Tylenol, including one woman whose liver failed after she took normal doses while fasting, and a family whose 1-year-old died after taking infants’ Tylenol. Federal lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson subsidiary McNeil Laboratories are pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
In response, the FDA has required manufacturers to limit the amount of acetaminophen in their products and add warnings about liver failure to the packaging.
Tylenol does have other side effects, including poor interactions with alcohol and the possibility that harmful toxins from the drug could pass from mothers to babies in the womb. Like many drugs, it can also cause nausea, rash or allergic reactions.
The best way to keep yourself safe is to be careful when choosing medications, monitor the amount of acetaminophen you ingest, and be aware of the risk of liver damage.
Jennifer Mesko joined Drugwatch.com in 2012. She keeps consumers informed about the dangerous side effects of drugs and medical devices.
Drug side-effects are one of the most commonly dealt with issues by NDs. Many patients are unaware that everyday over-the-counter medications can cause mild and sometimes chronic problems, dangerous side-effects or contraindicate other medications. This article on Tylenol comes to BCNA from Drugwatch, a portal website with a wide range of patient-focussed drug info.
Multidisciplinary Care Goes Mainstream
All Posts, BCNA newsThe multidisciplinary Complex Chronic Diseases Program is now officially accepting patients at BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre located in Vancouver.
The program was set up to provide patient and symptom‐centered care with the support of a multidisciplinary team of health care providers. This approach emphasizes that treatment choice takes patient preferences into account, and that self‐care is supported as well as treatment. Central to this is the development of partnership in care, and facilitation of patient involvement during assessment and in the decision making about treatment decisions.
Dr. Alison Bested is the program’s Medical Director. Bested is a specialist who has worked with complex medical illnesses for over two decades. She was most recently the Medical Specialist Liaison at the Environmental Health Clinic at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto. A number of other health professionals are on the team including: specialists, general practitioners, a psychologist, a naturopathic doctor, a nurse practitioner, a nurse, social worker and physiotherapist.
The program is specifically focused on the chronic diseases: Lyme disease, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. Medical doctors, nurse practitioners and specialists are able to refer patients to the program for care. In addition, the program is set to evolve into an educational resource providing outreach to patients and professionals across the province.
For more information about the Complex Chronic Diseases Program, please visit bcwomens.ca.