December 28, 2005

Tylenol Linked to Liver Failure

Think popping extra pain pills cannot hurt? Think again: Accidental poisonings from the nation's most popular pain reliever seem to be rising, making acetaminophen the leading cause of acute liver failure.

Use it correctly and acetaminophen, best known by the Tylenol brand, lives up to its reputation as one of the safest painkillers. It is taken by about 100 million people a year, and liver damage occurs in only a small fraction of users.

But it is damage that can kill or require a liver transplant, damage that frustrated liver specialists insist should be avoidable. (mercurynews.com)

Posted by news editor | Filed under: Pain Medication