Tylenol Side Effects Kill a Young Mother

One young mother in North Carolina allegedly lost her life to Tylenol, which caused such severe liver damage that she couldn’t survive it. The victim’s mother, “Karen,” recently spoken out about what it’s like to outlive your child. “The hurt never goes away,” she says, “especially because my daughter’s death from Tylenol could have been prevented.”

Karen now takes care of her daughter’s young son, who at four years old will likely have few memories of his mother. According to the autopsy, the only drugs in her daughter’s system were Tylenol (acetaminophen).

Death from Tylenol Liver Damage

Like many Tylenol users, “Cindy” (Karen’s daughter) was told by her doctor to take Tylenol. She had been in a car accident and was suffering the usual pains and bruises following such an event. She was only 23 years old at the time and her son was nine months old. She had everything to live for, and likely thought nothing of taking the recommended dose of Tylenol — in fact, she had likely taken Tylenol for years, just like many Americans.

However, it seems like Cindy knew that something was wrong. She called her mother and reported intense stomach pains. Cindy had been an athlete and was in top health, so this was strange. Karen told her daughter to go to the hospital, but she didn’t since there weren’t any babysitters available –her daughter lived in Virginia, so Karen couldn’t watch the child for her. Cindy called her mom again a few days later to say the pain was worse. Late that night, Cindy’s neighbor called Karen to say that Cindy had been rushed to the hospital.

There was little Karen could do for her daughter since she was so far away. When she got the call from Cindy’s doctor, she was shocked. “Her liver has given up, and I’m not sure that she’s going to make it,” the attending physician said.

Karen rushed to book a flight, but it wasn’t for a few hours. The doctor called again to say things weren’t looking good, and they were desperately searching for a liver donation. If one became available, Cindy would be moved to another hospital. Cindy was still waiting for the flight when the doctor called a third time.

“If you want to see her alive, you’d better come now,” he said. Karen knew this was her last chance, but there were simply no direct flights, so she decided to drive — she didn’t reach her daughter until 9 p.m., but Cindy had died of Tylenol one hour prior.

Following her daughter’s death, Karen is now taking antidepressants and says that’s the only reason she can talk about this nightmare. She says her grandson asks repeatedly about his mother when he comes home from school. However, for the doctors, this isn’t very surprisingly. Karen was told by one doctor that Cindy was the third person he’d seen die of “acute liver failure directly related to Tylenol.” The official autopsy report says that Cindy died from acetaminophen overdose, a key ingredient in Tylenol.

Where’s the Warning?

Like Karen, most people can probably recall a minor warning about this active ingredient — liver failure is usually the last thing on people’s minds. This is what has led to numerous product liability lawsuits being filed against Johnson & Johnson for failing to warn about the risk of acetaminophen overdose.

There needs to be stronger warnings, say Tylenol victims and their surviving loved ones. At first, Karen wanted to seek out any foul play. Taking on Johnson & Johnson is a big deal, but with the influx of Tylenol liver failure lawsuits being filed, it’s finally happening.

Karen says a wrongful death Tylenol lawsuit is only fair. “They must take responsibility for my daughter’s senseless death. How will I explain it to my grandson?” she asks.

It was announced in August 2013 that Tylenol bottle caps in the U.S. will now come with a warning message that Tylenol can cause liver damage and liver failure, but that’s far too late for people like Karen. Tylenol has been around seemingly forever, and so have the studies linking the drug to horrific side effects. It’s just not enough, says Karen.

Were Your or a Loved One Injured from Tylenol Side Effects?

Did you or someone you love take Tylenol and suffer severe side effects? If so, you might qualify for a Tylenol legal claim. Learn more about your rights by visiting the Tylenol Liver Damage, Stevens Johnson Syndrome Lawsuit Investigation today. After sharing your information, a lawyer will contact you if you have a case for a free Tylenol claim review.