When government, politicians, and law enforcement take control of the practice of medicine this is what we get: Cruelty and incompetence. The next time you're given Tylenol for a broken leg or post-surgical pain you'll understand. Drs. Jeffrey Singer and Josh Bloom in USA Today.
acetaminophen
Trip report: Josh goes into a Manhattan CVS to buy some Tylenol and is horrified by generic drug discrimination. Then he steals a piano.
IV Tylenol is commonly used to control pain following surgery. But, should it be? A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial – the gold standard – of patients who underwent abdominal surgery gave us a very clear answer. Take a wild guess.
Summary: In the mad dash to remove opioids from modern life, some researchers are willing to try anything, even Tylenol to control pain. How well does IV Tylenol work for post-operative pain from spinal surgery? Although the data are not complete, it's safe to say that it's no better than moose urine.
A new study in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology suggests increased use and overdosing of the pain reliever and fever-reducing medication during this period. But what explains it?
It's relatively easy to accidentally overdose on acetaminophen. The compound is found in headache and cold medicine. When people get sick, they often take a combination of over-the-counter drugs to relieve symptoms. But there may be an option.
Acetaminophen has become the go-to analgesic for many painful conditions. And when used appropriately, it can be effective for headaches and fever reduction. But it's not useful for inflammatory conditions like arthritis, and it can have a significant downside if used in excess.
Medline Industries, a manufacturer of acetaminophen isn't looking too good right now. The company's 325 mg acetaminophen ( the generic name of Tylenol) turned out to be 500 mg instead. Although this seems like a non-story, it is not. Acetaminophen is quite toxic at doses that are not that far from the normal daily dose. Cough syrups, and other OTC products can compounds the risk.
We tend to think of over the counter (OTC) drugs for pain relief as interchangeable but this can be a dangerous misconception.
Dr. Josh Bloom on Science 2.0, March 3, 2015
I never know what I'm going to find on the editorial pages of the New York Times. Sometimes I agree with them, and sometimes I don't. But, they usually, at the very least, make sense.
Acetaminophen is recommended as a first-line treatment for acute lower back pain according to medical guidelines. However, this recommendation has not been supported by research. A new
Acetaminophen is commonly used by pregnant mothers to treat pain and fever and is generally considered to be safe.