- NEW: Panel votes to kill prescription drugs that combine acetaminophen, narcotics
- Panel advises lower maximum doses of nonprescription acetaminophen drugs
- Those drugs include Tylenol, NyQuil, Pamprin and Allerest
- CDC estimates acetaminophen was the likely cause of most acute liver failures
(CNN) -- “A government advisory panel voted Tuesday to recommend eliminating prescription drugs that combine acetaminophen with narcotics -- such as Vicodin and Percocet -- because of their risk for overdose and for severe liver injury.
The panel, assembled by the Food and Drug Administration, voted 20 to 17 to advise the FDA to remove such prescription combination drugs from the market.
The group recommended that the FDA "send a clear message that there's a high likelihood of overdose from prescription narcotics and acetaminophen products," Dr. Sandra L. Kweder of the FDA's Office of New Drugs said at a news conference after Tuesday's meeting.
The panel was meeting for the second day to vote on recommendations to reduce the risk of serious liver injury associated with acetaminophen, which is found not only in prescription drugs, but also in over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol and NyQuil.
It also advised the FDA to lower the maximum daily dose of acetaminophen in over-the-counter and prescription medications, and to address the formulations and dosing recommendations for children…”
If they are talking about doing away with Vicodin and Percocet I think it would be a good idea. A great many drug users take Vicodin and Percocet. Hospital emergency rooms get lots of people each day that come in and pretend they have some sort of pain problem and they want Vicodin or Percocet.
On the problem of liver damage from acetaminophen that is a major problem. I have seen that many times. Sometimes someone would try and kill them self by taking an over dose of Tylenol. They might come in fighting and I would have to restrain them. I might have to control them while the ER staff would put a tube down in their stomach. Then have to try and get them to drink activated charcoal or they would put it down by tube.
I can remember later family telling in the waiting room that their son or daughter was going to be OK. They would be happy and I knew that the lab results had just come back to the ER and the doctor was getting ready to tell the family that the patient was had killed their liver.
So they do need to lower the level of acetaminophen and they do need warning about liver damage. I think there is already a warning on the package.
I have known a number of people that have bad pain all the time and they take a great deal of Tylenol. Even if they are not taking an over dose it is doing damage to their liver.
We take to many medications in the United States. We seem to think there is a pill for everything.
I take five medications myself. I do not take any pain medication. I do have pain but I am just going live with the pain for as long as I can.
