Canadian health authorities may be set to ban this deadly OTC drug
“I think if Tylenol was brought to the market today, it would not be approved.”
That comes from Dr. David Juurlink — the top expert on toxic drugs at one of the largest hospitals in Canada.
For years now, Canadian health authorities have been talking about taking big steps to protect citizens from acetaminophen.
Now Canada’s national health agency may be on the verge of permanently banning Extra Strength Tylenol and other high-dose acetaminophen products.
It’s a move that has Big Pharma shaking in its boots — and it’s sounding a loud warning on acetaminophen that’s being heard all over the world.
As an eAlert reader, you know that I’ve been warning about acetaminophen for years.
I’ve shared the stories of people who unknowingly crossed that fine line between a so-called “safe” dose, and a lethal one.
And I’ve told you about families devastated by the loss of a loved one who simply took one pill too many for a cold or arthritis flare-up.
Now, it looks like health officials in Canada have seen enough.
Health Canada is considering chopping the maximum daily dose of the drug from 4,000 mg (what it is in the U.S.) to 2,600 mg.
On top of that, it may also no longer allow Extra Strength Tylenol to be sold anywhere.
And that’s big. Because that product represents a giant 90 percent of Johnson & Johnson’s Tylenol sales.
Company reps and an industry trade group wasted no time in responding that such restrictions would be bad news for patients. And that when used according to the directions, the drug is perfectly safe.
Yeah, right.
It’s so safe that acetaminophen is the leading cause of liver failure in the U.S. — and it sends 78,000 people to the ER every year.
And those ER visits and deaths are happening to people who are taking the exact dose recommended on the label.
Health Canada found that up to 20 percent of all the acetaminophen liver injuries reported came from doses smack within the current guidelines.
Dr. Eric Yoshida, who is with the liver transplant program at Vancouver General Hospital, says restrictions on acetaminophen are just “common sense.”
He’s seen his share of Canadians with acute liver damage — many with complete liver failure — from taking acetaminophen.
If banning products like Extra Strength Tylenol just prevents one death, or one person from needing a liver transplant, “it would be worth it,” Dr. Yoshida added.
Hopefully our neighbors to the north will follow through with these changes.
As for the FDA? Well, I wouldn’t hold my breath.
But a major country banning high-dose acetaminophen should be a wake-up call to doctors and patients around the world.
And hopefully this will be a reminder to everyone of how important it is to protect ourselves from acetaminophen.
One way to do that is to be very sure of the ingredients in any OTC or Rx drugs you’re taking.
Acetaminophen doses can add up quickly. And as many have sadly discovered, it’s very easy to be just one pill away from a fatal overdose.
Sources:
“Health Canada looks at reducing daily dosage of acetaminophen due to liver damage concerns” Elizabeth Payne, May 10, 2016, Ottawa Citizen, ottawacitizen.com
