Woman Shares Her Tylenol Liver Failure Story

The fact that acetaminophen, a common ingredient in over-the-counter (OTC) painkillers like Tylenol, can cause liver damage when taken in large amounts isn’t new. However, knowledge of this fact is spreading like wildfire. There’s a slew of published research connecting Tylenol and liver damage, but one Yahoo! writer takes things a step beyond and shares her own story with Tylenol liver failure. 

Going by the name “Rosemeadow,” she recalls that she was “young and healthy” when she allegedly almost died of Tylenol liver failure at the age of 22. She didn’t drink, but she was balancing a married life and college in her early 20s. In other words, she was burned out, considering she also worked for a veterinarian. However, one day her “burn out” took a nearly fatal turn. 

“One day, I came home and collapsed in a heap, and had a temperature of 105 degrees,” Rosemeadow says. Those were her only symptoms, but it was enough to cause alarm. She called her uncle, a doctor, and he told her to simply drink a lot of water and take Tylenol for the fever. That advice almost cost her life.

Tylenol got her fever just below 103 degree, but it wouldn’t budge past that. Rosemeadow also began to develop a sore throat, which she self-diagnosed as strep from having had it before. By now, her uncle also had a cold and couldn’t see her, so she went to her college’s student medical services clinic. She’d noticed in the past couple of days that her urine was “almost like black coffee,” but she attributed that to dehydration. 

At first, the health staff at the college thought she had mononucleosis, and sent her for a liver ultrasound (common procedure in the case of mono). That’s when she discovered the truth of her ailment. “My liver and spleen were extremely swollen and I was a very sick person. The mono tests were all negative.” Concerned, her husband rushed her to her uncle’s office, but she was again diagnosed with severe mono, which had led to liver swelling.

By now, Rosemeadow’s liver had swollen so severely that it reached her pelvic area. Then the blood tests began to come in. “Everything was normal,” she says. More blood tests were drawn, but every virus tested came back negative. She developed severe liver swelling, jaundice and was put on bed rest. 

Unable to bathe herself, her husband took over those duties. “I started to suspect that I had cancer or something terrible. I was still taking Tylenol, as per the instructions, for the pain and lingering fever.” Little did she know she was continually poisoning herself, causing more severe liver damage with every dose.  

She was finally referred to a gastroenterologist, since all the medical staff was sure by now that she had Hepatitis C. Her uncle was at a loss, and asked if she was taking any kind of medication at all. “Only the Tylenol for my pain and fever,” she said — and that’s when everything came together.

Her uncle had her stop the Tylenol regimen, switching her to Ibuprofen. Her appointment with the gastroenterologist was a week away, but she wasn’t sure if she’d live to see that appointment. However, her symptoms suddenly started to disappear. When she had her appointment, her liver showed signs of shrinking. 

“The reason that my liver failed and I nearly died was due to the Tylenol I was taking,” Rosemeadow says. “I simply took the acetaminophen in the recommended doses for a common malady and ended up almost dying.”

Tylenol Liver Damage Lawsuits Grow

Rosemeadow isn’t the only person to allegedly suffer liver failure from taking too much Tylenol. Acetaminophen overdose is one of the most common causes of acute liver failure. 

If you or a loved one suffered liver failure or liver damage from Tylenol, you may have a legal claim. Discover more by visiting the Tylenol Liver Damage, Stevens Johnson Syndrome Lawsuit Investigation today.