A federal advisory committee has put in a recommendation that Percocet and Vicodin be banned, along with restrictions on over-the-counter pain medications, like Tylenol because of acetaminophen. Acetaminophen has been linked to liver damage. There is worry that the overuse of the drug that is in Tylenol and many over the counter pain medications is damaging and needs to be further restricted.
The government is looking to lower the dosage on over-the- counter acetaminophen and ban the more intense versions Vicodin and Percocet. This has patients concerned about their pain killers. Whether they are just popping Tylenol for the occasional headache or have found Percocet to be the only answer for the pain their rheumatoid arthritis causes.
There is fear that patients are becoming addicted to the pain killers more easily and overusing them. Prescription pain killer abuse is rampant in this country and with the recent death of Michael Jackson has become even more of an issue lately.
The problem also is that many people could be taking too much acetaminophen and not even knowing it. The ingredient is in many things such as cold medicine and over the counter remedies such as Midol. And people could not be looking at the packaging and then popping a few Tylenol on top of those drugs because they did not know it contained the acetaminophen. The liver damage could get worse if people are also drinking alcohol along with their Tylenol.
Here is a quote from a San Jose Mercury News article:
“According to the FDA, prescription acetaminophen combination drugs were prescribed 200 million times last year. Tylenol’s maker says nearly 50 million U.S. adults and children take acetaminophen in any given week.”
“The panel’s proposals, announced June 30, were prompted by concerns over acetaminophen overdoses, which are the leading cause of liver failure. They sicken more than 50,000 people and cause at least 200 deaths each year nationwide.”
So what do you think? Is this a little drastic or is the government panel right?
