FDA Warns of Acetaminophen Risks as Tylenol MDL Forms
By Robert J. Boumis
Acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol and other over-the-counter pain relievers and fever reducers, has been cited as the leading cause of liver failure in the United States, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere in the world.
Patients taking these drugs have reported acute liver failure, a serious condition in which the liver is effectively poisoned and stops working. In some cases, the liver can recover and heal from this damage. However, in other cases, the patient may die from this medical crisis. Individuals vary wildly in terms of their tolerance for acetaminophen since the patient’s reaction to the drug is based on the way their liver processes it, which varies due to individual physiology. Additionally, it typically takes several days to several hours before the extent of the damage can be ascertained.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) warns that since many over-the-counter drugs contain acetaminophen, the risk for accidental overdose is a serious possibility. In this situation, a patient could take a pain reliever and a cold medicine in the same day, and inadvertently give themselves too much acetaminophen. In some patients, this acetaminophen overdose could trigger acute liver failure, sending them to the emergency room.
In response to these concerns, the FDA has called for warnings of acetaminophen overdose to be placed on Tylenol bottles and has called for limits on the amount a person can purchase at once. However, many people have already suffered from acute liver failure from Tylenol.
Dozens of lawsuits have been filed against the manufacturers of Tylenol. These Tylenol lawsuits were recently combined into multidistrict litigation (MDL), a type of group lawsuit similar to a class action lawsuit. These Tyelnol liver damage lawsuits allege that Tylenol is being marketed without adequately informing consumers of the risks associated with acetaminophen, endangering the public by preventing patients and health care workers from having all of the information they need to make informed medical decisions, possibly resulting in harm or death.
If you or someone you care about suffered from acute liver failure or liver damage after taking Tylenol, you almost certainly have faced a major challenge. Acute liver failure is a major medical crisis, and it may take weeks before the body recovers well enough to leave the hospital. As a result, you may not only experience significant pain and suffering, but you may also be faced with financial obligations like mounting medical bills and lost wages.
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