An organization called ProPublica has been monitoring the dangers of pain medication acetaminophen for many years now. Go to their site and you will find a clock tallying how long there has been government and medical professional awareness of the dangers to human life from acetaminophen while the popular pain relief drug continues to be sold in this country.
As of this morning, the ProPublica clock stood at 36 years, 9 months, 25 days. That’s right — ProPublica reporting on this serious health risk has been going on for 36 YEARS.
What is Acetaminophen?
Acetaminophen is a chemical that is added to all sorts of products sold over the counter in grocery stores, big box stores, pharmacies, even at restaurants and convenience marts, with the promise of pain relief. Hundreds of products available for you to buy today contain acetaminophen. And even though as early as the mid-1970s medical journals like Lancet were warning that this drug can permanently injure the human liver and cause liver failure and death, its popularity has reigned in the pharmaceutical marketplace.
Here’s a few products containing acetaminophen that you may recognize:
1. Acetaminophen Products
Anacin®
Feverall®
Halenol®
Infantaire®
Masophen®
Pain-Eze®
Panadol®
Pediapap®
Q-Pap®
Ridenol®
Silapap®
Tylenol®
Vitapap®
2. Products With Acetaminophen as an Ingredient — Just a Few are Listed Here
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Sinus® (containing Acetaminophen, Phenylephrine)
Cetazone T® (containing Acetaminophen, Phenyltoloxamine, Salicylamide)§
Comtrex Cold and Cough® (containing Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Phenylephrine)
Contac Sinus® (containing Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine)
Coricidin® (containing Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine)
Dayquil® (containing Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Pseudoephedrine)
Dimetapp Cold And Fever® (containing Acetaminophen, Brompheniramine, Pseudoephedrine)
Dristan Cold Non-Drowsy® (containing Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine)
Drixoral Sinus® (containing Acetaminophen, Dexbrompheniramine, Pseudoephedrine Extended Release Tablet)
Dryphen® (containing Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine)
Duraflu® (containing Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Guaifenesin, Pseudoephedrine)
Excedrin® (containing Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine)
Excedrin Back & Body® (containing Acetaminophen, Aspirin)
Excedrin PM® (containing Acetaminophen, Diphenhydramine)
Flextra® (containing Acetaminophen, Phenyltoloxamine)§
Frenadol® (containing Acetaminophen, Salicylamide)
Genace® (containing Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine)
Genasec® (containing Acetaminophen, Phenyltoloxamine)§
Gendecon® (containing Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine)
Goody’s Extra Strength® (containing Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine)
Goody’s PM® (containing Acetaminophen, Diphenhydramine)
Levacet® (containing Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine, Salicylamide)
Midol PMS® (containing Acetaminophen, Pamabrom, Pyrilamine)
NyQuil Cold/Flu Relief® (containing Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Doxylamine)
Pamprin® (containing Acetaminophen, Pamabrom, Pyrilamine)
Percogesic® (containing Acetaminophen, Phenyltoloxamine)¶
Premesyn PMS® (containing Acetaminophen, Pamabrom, Pyrilamine)
Robitussin Cold Cough and Flu® (containing Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Guaifenesin, Pseudoephedrine)
Sine-Aid® (containing Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine)
Sine-Off Sinus and Cold® (containing Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Phenylephrine)
Sinus Aid® (containing Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine)
Sinutab® (containing Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine)
Sominex Pain Relief® (containing Acetaminophen, Diphenhydramine)
Sudafed PE Cold & Cough® (containing Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Guaifenesin, Phenylephrine)
Sudafed PE Sinus Headache® (containing Acetaminophen, Phenylephrine)
Suphedrin Sinus® (containing Acetaminophen, Pseudoephedrine)
Theraflu Sore Throat® (containing Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Pseudoephedrine)
Triaminic Cold And Fever® (containing Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan, Pseudoephedrine)
Tylenol Cold® (containing Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Pseudoephedrine)
Unisom With Pain Relief® (containing Acetaminophen, Diphenhydramine)
Vanquish® (containing Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine)
Vicks 44 Cold, Flu and Cough® (containing Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan, Pseudoephedrine)
Food and Drug Administration Issues Warning About Acetaminophen This Week – For Prescription Dosages Only
This week, the FDA issued a statement that asked doctors and other medical providers to stop giving out prescriptions for drugs that have 325 mg or more of acetaminophen in their dosage. The FDA tells the doctors that this warning has been issued because acetaminophen in this amount or higher can cause permanent damage to a patient’s liver.
However, no one is stopping acetaminophen from being dispensed by health care providers. No law prevents these medications from being given out or sold. And the FDA warning is only for medications that must be sold with a prescription. All those examples listed above? They aren’t covered by the FDA Warning because they don’t need a doctor’s prescription to be purchased.
Liver Danger and Death From Liver Failure Is a Real Danger Right Now — Don’t Be a Victim of Acetaminophen Poisoning
Today, this danger exists for all of us. Everyone needs to be aware of how risky it is to take acetaminophen — and how easily you can overdose on this stuff because it’s found in so many different products. Particularly now, in the flu and cold season, it’s easy for someone to take — or to give to their spouse or child or parent — a combination of cough medicine, pain pills, etc., that results in a toxic level of acetaminophen and potential liver failure and death.
Right now, prevention — or suing for damages after being harmed from this drug based on state laws for product liability, wrongful death, etc. — are the two options open to people because acetaminophen is out there.
Please be careful out there!
Read the FDA Statement issued this week online here.
