Health Canada, Tylenol and Liver Toxicity

Health Canada has announced that a new maximum recommended daily dose is being considered for acetaminophen, the pain killing ingredient in such common drugs as Tylenol. Here’s five good reasons why Health Canada’s on the right track. . . .

1. Regular use of acetaminophen is toxic to the liver and kidneys. Even short-term use of acetominaphen, if taken at the maximum recommended daily dose, stresses the liver (JAMA 2006;296:87-93).

2. So significant is the stress on the liver caused by acetominophen, that it has become the most common cause of acute liver failure in the U.S. and U.K., far exceeding other causes (Hepatology 2005;42:1364-72).

3. It doesn’t even work! A recent study reported in Lancet (Lancet 2014;doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60805-9) and a recent meta-analysis reported in the British Medical Journal (BMJ 2015;350:h1225) found acetaminophen ineffective for back pain and osteoarthritis. It also found that people who did take it were four times more likely to have abnormal results on liver tests.

4. Acetaminopohen also has psychological side effects (Psychological Science 2015;doi:10.1177/0956797615570366).

5. Infants born to mothers who took acetaminophen while pregnant are at increased risk of ADHD (JAMA Pediatr 2014;168:313-20).

For more details, look here.

For more information on the negative side effect of pharmaceutical painkillers and the advantages of the natural alternatives, see the chapter on pain in our book, The Family Naturopathic Encyclopedia.