Slight paracetamol overdose kills young mother over time

[TylerDurden]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/8957363/Paracetamol-kills-mother-who-took-a-few-extra-pills-a-day.html

[RawZi]

    Doctors and pharmaceutical companies have to stop marketing this pill as safe.  It hits too close to home.

[Dorothy]

Sad. If that was an herb there would be outrage and it would be banned immediately. If an herb kills one person because they took 100 times the dose or because they took a form that was not supposed to be taken internally and says so on the bottle all hell breaks loose.

Zi - when you say it hits too close to home, do you mean that you had a similar experience in your life or someone close to you? 
 

[RawZi]

    I didn't complain, or go to doctors or even have any idea recreational or street drugs might alleviate some pain, but I was in terrible pain for a long time.  I took larger than recommended doses of paracetamol every day around the clock for months.  It didn't even help the pain.  Later I got liver symptoms, and I think it was due to this.

    I met Tylenol representatives later on.  They couldn't stop bragging how safe it is. 

    Also, I have read since then and looked into, and it seems the reason opiate prescriptions are mostly dangerous is all the paracetamol added to a great deal of them, as the ones without don't put the same strain on the liver.

[Dorothy]

How terrible. 
Has your liver healed?

[zevulf]

    I didn't complain, or go to doctors or even have any idea recreational or street drugs might alleviate some pain, but I was in terrible pain for a long time.  I took larger than recommended doses of paracetamol every day around the clock for months.  It didn't even help the pain.  Later I got liver symptoms, and I think it was due to this.

I'm sorry for your liver damage and I hope it gets better. However, what youbdidbwas pretty stupid. There is a reason there are doses that should not be surpassed. They don't put some arbitrary number on the back. There is a reason you're not supposed to take more than 4 grams of aceteminophen. Also I have no idea why you didn't check with your doctor first before deciding it was okay to take more than what it says is the limit. It's honestly no one's fault but your own.



   

I met Tylenol representatives later on.  They couldn't stop bragging how safe it is.

In doses below the limit, it is completely safe. Your liver is a filter organ, but can only handle so much at a time. If you push in more than can for, obviously damage will occur.

   

Also, I have read since then and looked into, and it seems the reason opiate prescriptions are mostly dangerous is all the paracetamol added to a great deal of them, as the ones without don't put the same strain on the liver.

Once again, opiates are completely safe (and derived from the poppy plant btw) if you follow the directions. However they can be addictive. But the opiates themselves don't damage any organs. They do slow down your cardiovascular system and can cause you to stop breathing, but that's not from any sort of damage. However most prescription opiates do contain an extra drug that is dangerous in high dosages. This is intentionally done more so to prevent abuse rather than drug effects. However if you follow the regiment as prescribed you don't have anything to worry about. Next time before self medicating, think. Don't let your stupidity end your life.

[KD]

I'm sorry for your liver damage and I hope it gets better. However, what youbdidbwas pretty stupid.

Once again, opiates are completely safe (and derived from the poppy plant btw) if you follow the directions.

However most prescription opiates do contain an extra drug that is dangerous in high dosages. This is intentionally done more so to prevent abuse rather than drug effects. However if you follow the regiment as prescribed you don't have anything to worry about. Next time before self medicating, think. Don't let your stupidity end your life.

its an interesting opinion. One likely contested highly here. It would have been better for your argument if you phrased your take on the efficacy and harm of these drugs without the need to chastise others. No one here is turning back time, and you could easily even 'warn' others (if that is your intention) by stating something like: in general one is "asking for trouble" exceeding a dose and that your opinion is: that the accepted dose is OK.

This is assuming your debatable take on drug "safety" is even accurate. Judging by the fact that they put additional poisons arbitrarily into drugs to keep them from being exploited, makes for a strange relationship of trusting these drug pushers are in ones' best interest. Although, I agree in some cases that drugs (at their prescribed or otherwise 'safe' dose) can be fairly "natural" and potentially beneficial.

[RawZi]

Has your liver healed?

    I think my liver is good now. 

what youbdidbwas pretty stupid....

    Well that was three or four decades ago, long time anyway. I knew nothing about paleo yet.  Have you heard about it?  Thank you for your concern for my health.  I've had plenty of liver tests.  All but two medical ones came out good, and for the past five years everyone medical and not came out good, I do still get medically tested about once a year now at my request.  I've had symptoms that I attributed to liver, but none recently.  I feel my liver was a little week before I ever took a tylenol.  We all start with something.

[Dorothy]

Here's the problem - you get different info in different places! The extra-strength arthritis tylenol says it's ok if you have 3 alcoholic drinks a day but other places say even if you drink two it's risky. Imagine if you already have a compromised liver like Zi did and don't know it! What if you already have cirrhosis or cancer? Then doctors tell you different things. My mother's doctor told her it was ok with her arthritis to take more than what was on the label. This freaked me out because I thought her liver was already compromised (it was). Natural treatments cured her pain later, but all those decades popping those things..... Another thing they don't tell you is that if you are on a lot of OTHER medications that are ALSO putting stress on your liver that could make your tolerance level lower. Medications in general put a stress on the liver. Then, if you eat a diet that is really bad and stresses your liver even more.........  oy.

The big issue is that no one talks about curative options like diet etc. That's the real travesty. People think when they are in pain that all they can do is pop one of those over the counter pills when there are countless ways to help yourself.

Arthritis pain can be easily handled with dmso btw - in case anyone that has arthritis finds this - and then cured completely with diet.

I'm glad you are better now Zi. I'm sure you already are familiar with milk thistle to help rebuild the liver right? The beautiful things about livers is that they are the one organ that can completely regenerate. That's how important they are. I bet by the time you are 100 you will have the liver of a healthy 20 year old again.

Oh - and KD..... gracious bow to you kind sir.

[RawZi]

    Thank you D.  I wasn't taking any other drug, and was eating a fairly healthy diet.  I didn't have cirrhosis, and had no idea my liver might be weak.  I didn't drink any alcohol. I was familiar with milk thistle for liver before I realized I had a weak liver.  Yes, the liver does really seem like the most amazing organ, and KD is most kind.  Thanks friends. =)  I wouldn't have oded on it if I had known what I could do for the terrible pain I was having. I was using moist heat, but couldn't do that at the long days at work.  We live and learn, or don't.  I wish I found raw paleo back then.