Time to clean out the medicine cabinet, perhaps? Acetaminophen, one of the most common medicines used in fever and pain drugs like Tylenol, could trigger dangerous skin reactions in some people, the Food and Drug Administration said Thursday. The reactions typically start with flu-like symptoms, but could lead to extensive damage to skin tissue and could be fatal. The most serious reactions are Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis. The FDA is requiring manufacturers to place warning labels on prescription medications that contain acetaminophen, and potentially on over-the-counter drugs as well.
Time:
"Many of the reactions start with flu-like symptoms of fever and muscle aches, which are followed by rash, blistering and sloughing off of the outside of the skin, which can expose patients to potentially fatal infections. It’s possible for victims to experience scarring, skin pigment changes, blindness and organ damage. The recovery can take weeks or months. The FDA says anyone who is taking acetaminophen and is experiencing skin symptoms, should stop taking it immediately.
“This new information is not intended to worry consumers or health care professionals, nor is it meant to encourage them to choose other medications. However, it is extremely important that people recognize and react quickly to the initial symptoms of these rare but serious, side effects, which are potentially fatal,” said Dr. Sharon Hertz, the deputy director of FDA’s Division of Anesthesia, Analgesia and Addiction in a statement.
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The announcement isn’t the first to alert users to the potential harms of acetaminophen. Two years ago, the FDA limited prescription acetaminophen doses to 325 milligrams per tablet or capsule to prevent liver injury. For now, the FDA says people using the drug should not stop the medication unless they develop skin symptoms. The side effects are rare, and for most users, the agency says the benefits of the drug outweigh its risks."
Important to note as well, even though promotional drug meetings are one of the most common ways doctors find out about new medications, a new study shows they're not getting all the information, like potential adverse side-effects. Doing a little research yourself could not only alert you to possible drug interactions, but possibly save your life as well.
