Common painkiller can be harmful

AUSTIN (KXAN/NBC) - The Food and Drug Administration is trying to make sure you do not overdose on Acetaminophen, which can cause serious liver damage, even death.

You may not recognize the drug's name, but you are probably familiar with many of the common over the counter products that contain it: Tylenol, NyQuil, TheraFlu and more.

FDA advisers have voted to recommend lower doses and may consider pulling some products off the market.

"I think people buy them and take them like candy," said Austin pharmacist Laura Kelly.

Kelly said she is not surprised the FDA made the move, since people tend to take the most pills that are recommended.

"You know, Ibuprofen, Tylenol, people get addicted to taking it," Kelly said.

Kelly said many people take a combination of pills for an illness. Problem is, they do not realize, they have past the recommended daily dosage.

"When you're taking this and you're taking NyQuil at night, or if you're taking Vicatin, that's where you get into trouble," she said.

Officials emphasize that Acetaminophen is a safe and effective drug when used properly. The problem is, many of us do not know we're taking it, so we combine medications and end up ingesting lots more of this drug, than is safe.

FDA advisers voted to lower both the daily maximum and single doses of Acetaminophen in painkillers and cold medicines.

"Our concern is that we maintain a dose availability that's going to be effective to treat minor aches and pains that consumers are seeking," said Sandra Kweder, FDA Office of New Drugs.

Austin resident Nick Neumann said he is going to take this FDA move as a warning to pay more attention to the over the counter drugs he takes.

"As soon as I get back home, I'm going to let my family know, let my friends know to be careful even with over the counter drugs," Neumann said.

The panel stopped short of pulling over the counter medications off the market but did recommend pulling prescription painkillers, like Vicodin and Percocet, that combine Acetaminophen with stronger narcotics.

Every year, 200 Americans die and 56,000 end up in the hospital, from overdosing, many of them, accidental.

Rebecca Drake, a pharmacist, had no idea her sister April was taking so much Tylenol for stomach pain. until her liver failed and she died.

"We're not sure how much she ended up taking but it wasn't helping so she kept increasing her dose thinking, you know, more is better," said Drake.

But because Acetaminophen is a safe and effective drug when used properly, manufacturers - and consumers with chronic pain - want to make sure it's widely available.

If the FDA follows its experts' advice, higher doses - now over the counter - would be available by prescription only.

"I'm concerned about the consumer who can't get to the doctor to get a prescription, 34 who has used the acetaminophen as a standard way of treating their chronic pain," said Linda Suydam with the Consumer Healthcare Products Association.

FDA advisers are also considering whether to require smaller packages or a stronger label.

The FDA typically follows what its advisers recommend, but an FDA official tells me these changes may take months, even years, to implement.