FDA Advisers Urge Smaller Doses of Acetaminophen

Oxycodone and Hydrocodone

Why add ANYTHING that destroys the liver to a painkiller that can take away pain by itself WITHOUT damage to the liver? "because you can get addicted'? Wow---compared to a ruined liver--I`ll take my chances with detox.I think this is an economic decision--maybe common sense will prevail and the DEA will stop killing people who are desperate to relieve pain so they die from the unforgivable sin of too much Acetomenophen when all they wanted was enough codone to numb their misery for an hour.If this is n`t an example of conservative control--"We`ll fix those drug abusers....yeah,...put some aceto in their feel good meds & watch those damn drug abusers drop like flies.".....some evil people out there.Oxycodone without the poison is called oxycontin--and of course,like pot,they treat it like it has no medical purpose.Just ask Rush Limbow Get real,stop torturing patients-its the 21 st century!!!

A New OTC Pain Reliever

There is a new OTC pain reliever that was announced this morning called Cobroxin by a biotech called Nutra Pharma - http://www.nutrapharma.com/newsroom/display.php?newsid=133 It is apparently going to compete directly with acetaminophen.

maximum daily dose acetaminophen

I had heard where recommendations are for a daily maximum of 3250 mg and a single maximum dose of 650 mg acetaminophen. Has the FDA formalized it's recommendations for these two maximum doses?

UK

The government in the UK changed the law so that you can only buy small quantities ie a 32 tablet pack and only 2 pain relief packs at a time, this has led to a dramatic increase in price over the old 100 pack etc. that were previously available. I agree that the warnings should be more prominent but not shrinking the pack size to increase profits.

you can't fix dumb

if people want to drink alcohol with their tylenol and ruin their liver or choose not to read directions, I say let them.

I mean the government is gung hoe about the death penalty, and abortion....now they are all more worried about anohter stupid person dying???? People will just start selling it illegally like every other drug. That will be just another job for the unemployed!!

Max Dose

Reducing the max daily dose to 2600 mg (supplied in 325 mg tabs, caps etc...) vs. 4000 mg (supplied in 500 mg tabs, caps etc...) sounds good on the face of it. The board also recommended reducing the 1000 mg max single dose to 650 mg. Again looks good on paper but consider why the board is making these recommendations; people are acting stupid and are not using the drug correctly. Let's say Joe the Plumber hurt his back doing some contract work for Halliburton, normally he would take 2 / 500 mg over the counter acetominophen, but darn he can now only get 325 mg... hmmmmm.... decision time for Joe. Will he 1. Read the bottle at take only 650 mg as a max one time dose, 2. Take 975 mg as the closest he can get to 1000 mg without going over or 3. Take 1300 mg to be sure he gets 1000 mg and some to grow on. This ruling changes nothing and may cause people to exceed the max current max single does by 300 mg. Also, there is 32,500 mg of acetominophen in a 100 count bottle of 325 mg tabs, there is 50,000 mg of acetominophen in a 100 count bottle of 500 mg tabs. The 18,000 mg difference won’t save someone’s life if they ingest a whole bottle of 325 mg tabs. This board is waiting their time and ours.

who's taking a bottle of tylenol a day?

I think this is a little hyped up. The answer isn't banning it. It's most important that people know how to take it and know there is some risk. But acetaminophen has advantages over other pain relievers. After surgery, when at risk of bleeding out, you can't take aspirin, and while I really don't know about each pain reliever out there, I don't mind taking a little acetaminophen to ease my pain.

Education is the answer. Why should anyone care if someone is stupid enough to overdose on acetaminophen? that's called Darwinism. they give out awards for that kind of thing.

A Hidden Agenda by the FDA

The FDA Meeting Issue Background Document is at:

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/Drugs/DrugSafetyandRiskManagementAdvisoryCommittee/UCM164897.pdf

Options 1(a) and 1(b) propose limitation of acetaminophen to 325mg per dose for OTC sales (and possible inclusion of all prescription formulations).

Option 5(b) proposes eliminating all prescription medications complexed with acetaminophen.

What is not (directly) stated by the FDA is the single most significant factor at play. Hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lortab) complexed with acetaminophen is a Schedule III medication. Hydrocodone (alone) is under Schedule II. And there currently is NO SUCH PRODUCT manufactured!

Thus, the FDA [if they choose to vote for Option 5(b)] will (effectively) "re-schedule" hydrocodone from Schedule III to the *much* more restrictive Schedule II (written prescriptions only, maximum 30-day supply, etc.).

Addressing the current non-existence of any hydrocodone (only) product, the FDA Background Document (lazily) states:

“For development of hydrocodone single-agent formulations, implementation would include:"

... "Submission of NDAs and ANDAs for single-ingredient hydrocodone products, which may also require clinical studies for demonstration of efficacy.”

A reported 460,000 prescriptions for hydrocodone with acetaminophen are written and filled every business day in the United States. (Despite) the fact that the public comment window has passed, all affected patients, physicians, and institutions would be wise to protest - loudly.

What if I just take one

Does taking one pill do any harm to your liver?

What a great Article

I am so glad that the FDA is ruling to drop medication levels. Don't get me wrong there is a place and time for medication but we at the specific chiropractic center are proponents of health and wellness through natural means. This may be hard news for the company that makes acetamenophen, but it is great new for our livers and bodies.

larry

www.thespecific.com