The over-the-counter pain reliever aisles at supermarkets and pharmacies are huge. There are countless brands and formulations available, but most fall into four categories:
- Ibuprofen
- Aspirin
- Naproxen
- Acetaminophen
All four of these pain relievers are effective at reducing the severity of pain, and they all have the potential to cause certain side effects. But acetaminophen in particular can cause devastating liver damage, failure, and even death if too much is taken in a single day or in a single dosage.
In fact, acetaminophen is the leading cause of acute liver failure in the U.S. This fact is shocking, as almost everyone has a bottle of Tylenol or generic acetaminophen in their medicine cabinet. Because it can be purchased so easily and with little to no restrictions, many people assume acetaminophen is completely safe, even when taken frequently.
But acetaminophen’s safety is heavily dose-dependent. Taking a couple of doses per day is safe for most people, but taking several doses per day can increase your risk factor. What causes many incidents of liver failure is the either the combination of medications containing acetaminophen or drinking alcohol while taking acetaminophen.
Acetaminophen can be hard on the liver, and when the liver is overwhelmed by too much of the medication or a combination of it and alcohol, it can fail. People with acetaminophen-related liver failure may need a liver transplant to survive.
Unfortunately, acetaminophen is unlikely to be the only potentially dangerous drug people will take in their lives, and many of those drugs don’t warn patients of potential risks. In those cases, our drug injury lawyers work hard to help victims get compensation. Contact Ferrer Poirot Feller Daniel today for a free consultation.