The Dangers of Acetaminophen and the Many Recalls of Tylenol and Over-the-Counter Cold and Pain Medication

With school back in session and with the peak of flu season approaching you may find yourself in your local drug store to buy medications that are intended to offer your child relief from their flu and cold symptoms - from a fever to a sore throat to a runny or stuffy nose there is always some type of medicine that you are used to picking up for your child to help them feel better while they are sick. 

While good parents never want to see their children feeling sick or in pain there are some precautions you should use before you run to your medicine cabinet or to your local drug store to grab a product with Acetaminophen if your child (or even you) is sick:

• Make sure the over-the-counter product has not been recalled.  In the past year there have been multiple recalls for Tylenol and similar products so make sure your Tylenol is not one that was included in a recall.  One of the most recent Tylenol recalls was due to a contamination in an inactive ingredient in the factory where the drug is manufactured.  While reports are showing that the infected ingredient is not in the bottles or packages of Tylenol that are currently being sold in drug stores it was in the factory at the same time the infectious inactive ingredient was being processed also (click here for a full list of lot numbers that are being recalled by Tylenol ).  Tylenol has issued a voluntary recall for this product because the bacteria may have compromised the "good" batches of Tylenol which are now being sold in drug stores. 
• Make sure the medicine is not out dated.  Sometimes we don't end up using over-the-counter cold and flu medications often so you want to make sure you are not administering an expired drug.  While expired over-the-counter medications have not been proven to cause side effects in most cases it has not been properly tested enough to conclude that it will not harm you or your child at all.  Aside from possible side effect from expired medicine the products effectiveness usually decreases after the expiration date and may not deliver the amount of relief you need from your symptoms.
• Check the dosing amount on the product.  Recalls issued for Tylenol and similar products with Acetaminophen were not only issued for recall for possible contamination this year but also recently Tylenol issued a recall for issues with correct dosage information on Children's Tylenol Meltaways being on the product.  Also, in July of this year Brookstone Pharmaceuticals, LLC recalled Acetaminophen drops that were sold in 16 oz bulk containers with improper dosage information.  Any dosage over the recommended amount by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can cause liver failure and other side effects.  Currently the FDA is considering changing the daily dosage amount for over-the-counter products containing Acetaminophen.  The board of advisors to the FDA made the suggestion that Acetaminophen doses should be lowered because of the many people that are hospitalized, suffer injury and die each year due to an overdose of Acetaminophen products but the FDA has not yet decided if they want to change the dosing amount.
• Do not take certain products if you have liver problems.  If you already have liver problems you may or may not be aware that you should not be taking Acetaminophen.  Acetaminophen can not only cause liver problems if taken in excess but can also aggravate or worsen an already existing liver problem and can possibly result in liver failure and, in some cases, death. 
• Check the ingredients if you are taking multiple medications.  If you are taking multiple prescriptions or over-the-counter medications for an illness you should make sure you check the content of each drug.  You may be taking two or more products with Acetaminophen in them at the same time.  If so, do not continue to take multiple drugs with Acetaminophen at the same time (unless otherwise instructed to by your doctor) as this can cause liver failure.  Taking two drugs with the same medication in them is almost the same as taking an extra dose of Tylenol if you have a fever or a headache.  You don't want to get rid of a small problem and cause an even bigger, long lasting problem. 
• If you are still unsure about the medicine you are taking contact your pharmacist or your physician.  It is always better to be safe than sorry.  If you have unanswered questions do not hesitate to contact your pharmacist or a physician as this is usually the most accurate and reliable way to get information about a product you are taking. 
• If you experience any adverse side effects contact the FDA.  If you have experienced an injury or illness from a product containing Acetaminophen it is important that you first visit the hospital or doctor but afterwards either yourself or a loved one should report the injury from Acetaminophen to the Food and Drug Administration so that they can warn other consumers of the possible problems and side effects of the product.  Also, if you experienced a long term side effect, such as liver failure, caused by recalled Tylenol or a similar drug containing Acetaminophen you may want to consider contacting a personal injury attorney for your product liability case. 

Making sure your flu and cold medications are safe may take some extra time but it is worth every second of it. 

We at the law firm of Decker, Decker, Dito & Internicola know that you as a parent try to do everything to prevent your child from harm but sometimes injury to your child is not preventable, such as in a situation where you give your child or you your self take Tylenol or another medicine and suffer serious side effects, including side effects such as liver damage or liver failure.  We never like to see these types of situations occur and hope that they never happen to you or your family but we can only provide you with information as it is available regarding recalls on medicine and hope that you follow it.  In the event that your child is injured due to a recalled drug you can contact our law firm and speak to Frank J. Dito Jr. Staten Island injury attorney regarding your injury case.