The Dangers of Simple Pain Relievers

For decades acetaminophen (Tylenol®)  and/or NSAIDs – nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – like ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®)  were considered some of the safest medications on the market.

But in the past 10 years, a vast array of studies and data have been compiled to show this is not the case.

These are just a few of the many dangers:

◼️Risk of Misuse and Overdose.

◼️Hidden Side Effects and Drug Interactions.

◼️Masking of Serious Conditions.

◼️Potential for Dependency.

◼️Pediatric and Elderly Risks.

---

Pain-Free, At What Cost?

---

The Dangers of Acetaminophen (Tylenol®)

Acetaminophen (Tylenol®), also known as paracetamol or APAP, is a drug commonly used to alleviate mild to moderate pain and reduce fever.

🟦 Acetaminophen is present in more than 600 over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications, including Tylenol and Vicodin.

Headaches, muscle aches, back pain, toothaches, colds, menstrual pain, fevers, and arthritis are among the numerous conditions for which acetaminophen is used.

🟦 According to the Consumer Healthcare Products Group, each week, around  52 million Americans – use a medication containing acetaminophen.

At recommended doses, acetaminophen used to be considered one of the safest OTC medications.

But, as with all medications, there are risks, and researchers are finding that the risks of acetaminophen use may be much more serious than we realize.

Last year, a review published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases concluded that the risks of acetaminophen have been “vastly underestimated,” as studies now show that the drug does raise the risk of liver damage, cardiovascular events, and mortality.

🟦 Acetaminophen overdose is one of the most common poisonings worldwide, according to the National Institutes of Health.

---

Serious Risks Associated With Acetaminophen

Acetaminophen and Liver Damage

◼️ Liver damage is perhaps the most well-known risk of acetaminophen use, and such damage can arise through overdosing on the drug.

---

◼️ After taking acetaminophen, most of the drug is metabolized by the liver and excreted through urination.

---

◼️ However, some of the drug is converted into a toxic metabolite that can devastate liver cells.

How Acetaminophen Damages The Liver

---

◼️ Many people don’t realize, but it’s VERY EASY to seriously damage your liver with Acetaminophen.

---

◼️ According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), acetaminophen was the leading cause of acute liver failure in the U.S., and almost half of liver failure cases during this period were a result of accidental overdose.

---

◼️ Because acetaminophen is present in such a wide range of OTC and prescription drugs at varying doses, it can be quite easy to accidentally take too much, particularly if using multiple acetaminophen-containing medications at once.

---

🟦 4,000 milligrams of acetaminophen can lead to massive liver damage. Yet a single Extra Strength Tylenol tablet contains 500 milligrams, it is easy to see how one may accidentally overdose on the drug. Taken over several days, as little as 25 percent above the maximum dose, or just two additional pills a day, has been reported to cause liver damage. This staggered overdosing may be more dangerous than a single large overdose.

---

It’s Very Easy To Overdose on Acetaminophen

With this in mind, in 2011, the FDA asked prescription drug manufacturers to voluntarily limit the amount of acetaminophen in each tablet or capsule to no more than 325 milligrams, in order to reduce consumers’ risk of accidental overdose.

🟦 Just half of prescription drug manufacturers have voluntarily complied with the request, to date.

---

Gut Health & Acetaminophen

🟦 Chronic use of acetaminophen in amounts as little as 4 extra strength pills a day has been associated with a 3.7x (almost 400%) increased risk of bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Tylenol & Leaky Gut

Acetaminophen can also cause intestinal permeability (Leaky Gut).

🟦 Leaky gut is when the intestinal cells (called “junctions”) that make up the digestive tract – and normally act like a “wall” – now have gaps created by repeated interactions with medical toxins that then allow undigested medicine and food to enter the bloodstream too early.

---

A Normal Gut Vs. Leaky Gut

◼️ In a normal gut, the walls of the digestive tract are tight and allow for food and medications to flow through completely so proper digestion breaks it all down before entering the bloodstream.

---

◼️ With a leaky gut, the junctions of the digestive tract wall have gaps that form, allowing unprocessed food and medications to leak out and hit the bloodstream before full and proper digestion can occur.

---

◼️ These undigested materials, once in the blood, ignite t-cell responses that attack these foreign particles, and in turn create a lot of inflammation, auto immune responses, and also creates nutritional deficiencies.

---

🟦 Simply speaking, leaky gut can easily wreck your health.

---

Leaky Gut Creates Many Health Issues

---

Tylenol & Severe Skin Allergies

A number of studies have also associated acetaminophen use with severe skin allergies.

In 2013, the FDA even issued a warning that acetaminophen use can cause potentially fatal skin reactions, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN).

---

Dr. Sharon Hertz, deputy director of FDA’s Division of Anesthesia, Analgesia and Addiction stated,

🟦 “Given the severity of the risk, it is important for patients and healthcare providers to be aware of it.”

What it also means is that even mild use of acetaminophen – over time – can create mild-to-serious issues with your skin including: rashes, dry, itchy and inflamed skin.

Example of Stevens-Johnson Rash From Acetaminophen

---

Tylenol & Rare Blood Cancers

In 2011, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology uncovered a link between regular acetaminophen use and increased risk of certain blood cancers such as Leukemia.

🟦 The study, which reviewed acetaminophen use in more than 64,000 men and women aged 50-76, found that individuals who used acetaminophen four or more times a week for at least 4 years were up to double the risk for blood cancers, including lymphoma and leukemia.

---

Tylenol, Autism, ADHD, & Asthma

◼️ Acetaminophen is currently marketed as safe during pregnancy. However, acetaminophen use may also have neurodevelopmental consequences for the fetus.

---

◼️ A 2016 study followed more than 2,000 mother–child pairs from the first trimester of pregnancy and performed several tests of behavior when the children were about five years old.

---

◼️ Forty percent of children are exposed to acetaminophen in utero.

---

◼️ Exposure to acetaminophen in utero was associated with lower attention function and a greater risk for ADHD-like hyperactivity and impulsivity symptoms.

---

◼️ In boys, acetaminophen exposure was also related to a greater number of autism spectrum symptoms, and mothers who used acetaminophen more frequently had an even greater chance of having children with autistic-like behavior.

---

🟦 From another analysis of more than 2,600 pregnant women, researchers found that women who used acetaminophen in the first 32 weeks of pregnancy were 30 percent more likely to have offspring with attention impairments at the age of 5, including autism or ADHD.

---

The Dangers of NSAID’s

(Advil ®, Aleve®, Voltaren®)

NSAIDs are a type of anti-inflammatory drug that are available over the counter and are very commonly taken for pain.

If the term “NSAID” isn’t ringing a bell, you might be more familiar with generic names like ibuprofen or name brands like Aleve®, Motrin® and of course Advil®.

🟦 You can even get NSAIDs in creams like Voltaren®, or in prescription versions like celecoxib (Celebrex®) or diclofenac (Cambia®, Cataflam®, Voltaren-XR®, Zipsor®, Zorvolex®).

---

Serious Risks Associated With NSAIDs

Increased Risk of Heart Failure

Doctors have been concerned for some time that NSAIDs might play a role in heart failure since they cause consumers to retain sodium.

🟦 The risk directly rises with the amount of NSAIDs taken. Now, research published in the British Medical Journal finds that NSAIDs increase the risk of a heart event by between 20%-50%.

🟦The researchers also found that current use of any NSAID was found to be associated with up to 20% percent increase in heart failure.

---

◼️ Overall, the study found that three traditional NSAIDs and two COX-2 inhibitors in particular led to an increased risk of heart failure.

---

◼️ COX-2 inhibitors are simply another type of NSAID that directly targets “cyclooxygenase-2” (COX-2), which is an enzyme responsible for inflammation and pain.

---

3 NSAIDs in particular were linked to a significantly increased risk of heart failure admission:

● Ibuprofen (brand name example: Advil® Motrin®).

● Naproxen (brand name example: Aleve®).

● Piroxicam.

---

🟦 As well, when NSAIDs like diclofenac, indomethacin, piroxicam, etoricoxib, and rofecoxib were taken at “very high doses” (meaning two or more daily doses), the risk for heart failure doubled.

---

Advil & Gastrointestinal Damage, Ulcers & Internal Bleeding

NSAIDs all share the same most prevalent side effect — damage to the gastrointestinal tract, which doesn’t just mean your stomach, it also includes possible threats to your esophagus and small intestine.

🟦 According to gastroenterologist Byron Cryer, MD, a spokesperson for the American Gastroenterological Association, more than half of all bleeding ulcers are caused by NSAIDs.

---

Higher Risk of Kidney Failure

🟦 According to research published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, NSAIDs can also have a very negative effect on renal (kidney) health in essentially all patients using NSAIDs

---

◼️ The most common renal complication caused by NSAIDs is fluid retention, which is believed to occur on some level in anyone taking these man-made anti-inflammatory pills.

---

◼️ NSAIDs also encourage the body to hold on to sodium which can lead to varying degrees of reduction in kidney function.

---

◼️ Complete avoidance of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is recommended for most people with chronic kidney disease.

---

The Bottom Line

In reality, we all take these pills from time to time, so this article is not about spreading fear, it’s about being better educated so you understand the risks associated with overuse.

The key to everything in life is balance, and remember, there are much safer options that are just as effective- if not more so – for everyday use.