A study published Friday in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine found a link between teenagers' use of acetaminophen such as Tylenol and asthma and allergies. The study questioned 322,959 13- and 14-year-olds in 50 countries about their acetaminophen use and found those taking the drug as infrequently as once a month had twice the chance of developing the disorders.
This is a classic case of getting cause and effect reversed, says Dr. Ross. Is it not more likely that kids who take acetaminophen occasionally have an increased underlying background of asthma or allergies than that the Tylenol or acetaminophen that they take occasionally is causing these diseases? There s never been any study previously linking acetaminophen ingestion to asthma or allergies.