The Deadly Effects Of Acetaminophen
There were a significant number of reports on the deadly effects of acetaminophen that were enough to catch the attention of the Food and Drug Administration back in 2009. The agency then proposed to lower the dosage in order to reduce risks, as well as to begin labeling the boxes on possible liver damage if not taken exactly as prescribed.
This pain reliever has been considered the safest type of medication available on the market that helps to alleviate pain. When people started to take acetaminophen under the assumption that it was safe and okay to go above the maximum dose, the adverse effects on liver functions began to show.
Paracetamol, a generic name for acetaminophen that has been widely accepted in many households, has always been the first solution for fever and pain, especially with children. The over dosage of this, however, may not be easily detected, and many households have placed themselves at risk by self medicating first and foremost with paracetamol without physician consult.
There are many products that include acetaminophen as a combination with other drug formulations in order to provide sufficient pain relief for other conditions. Unknowingly, people take more than their fair share of acetaminophen as they attempt to treat different health problems with a combination of different medications that may all contain some level of acetaminophen in the formulation.
Liver damage from excess intake of acetaminophen is caused when certain compounds known as metabolites completely take over the naturally occurring glutathione pathways of the liver. Glutathione is a biological antioxidant that protects cells naturally from peroxides and free radicals.
The low levels of glutathione are also found in diseases such as cancer and AIDS where the disease attacks at a cellular degenerative level, making the physical symptoms obviously manifested as each individual wastes away over time. The deterioration of cells results in the possible atrophy of the liver itself, leading to malfunction and eventually death.
There are many theories that go on the assumption that increasing glutathione levels can slow down possible cell degeneration, if not possibly reverse the process. This, however, is still yet to be achieved as there are no existing products that can show proof in raising levels of glutathione, in spite of the many types of natural herbal products that are out on the market today that claim to do so.
The liver is the first to be affected by excess acetaminophen dosage, as this drug works directly with this organ in an attempt to address symptomatic issues as soon as possible. This is the reason that damage occurs here first and foremost when the drug is not taken at the recommended controlled levels.
There is no way of telling an individual how to live his or her life in order to stay safe from unhealthy habits, and the intake of excess acetaminophen doses to self medicate a certain condition simply adds to the bigger picture. The intake of excessive alcohol as well as other medications already containing acetaminophen can have drastic effects on an individual who decides to take matters into his own hands and starts to take paracetamol for some other reason without medical supervision.
Liver damage can be a serious and dangerously deadly condition and it takes a professional to determine if an individual is on the road towards a bad liver problem. Signs and symptoms are yellow in the whites of the eyes, pain in the right upper abdominal area, dark urine color, and pale stools. Be sure to consult a health professional if these symptoms are frequent and if there is a history of acetaminophen or excessive intake of different types of medications.
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