WEDNESDAY, DAY 3
DRUGS AND ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS
A staple in any modern medicine cabinet, Tylenol is an over-the-counter pain reliever and fever reducer that works by cooling the body and changing the way the body senses pain. Tylenol’s active ingredient and generic form, acetaminophen, was first used in medicine in 1894 and gained widespread use in the 1950s. It is a popular alternative to aspirin because it is gentler on the stomach.
Acetaminophen is part of a class of medications called analgesics (which relieve mild to moderate joint, muscle, or headache pain) and antipyretics (which reduce fever). Outside North America, it is sold as paracetamol; both generic names, as well as the brand name Tylenol, are derived from the chemical name of the compound, N-acetyl-para-aminophenol.
While acetaminophen is available without a prescription and is considered safe in small quantities, overdoses of this medication are responsible for more emergency room visits than any other drug on the market—up to 15,000 a year. Because so many medications contain acetaminophen, it’s easy to take more than the recommended dosage without realizing it. Symptoms of an overdose may include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, sweating, extreme fatigue, unusual bleeding or bruising, pain in the upper right part of the abdomen, or yellowing of the skin or eyes. Even relatively small overdoses can severely damage the liver—especially if taken with alcohol.
More than 200 over-the-counter drugs contain acetaminophen, and it is often combined with other medications to treat symptoms other than general pain. Tylenol brand products, for example, include formulas specifically for cold and head congestion, sinus pain, menstrual cramps, arthritis, chest congestion, and cough and sore throat. Tylenol also markets nighttime products that contain antihistamines to induce drowsiness, extended-release formulas, liquid and chewable formulas, “meltaway” lozenges, and formulas for children and infants.