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THEPRESS.NET
JANUARY 13, 2012
HEALTH, BEAUTY & FITNESS
Understand your over-the-counter meds An overwhelming variety of overthe-counter pain medications is available in today’s marketplace. Recently I heard a warning on TV about acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol and related generic products. Since that’s what my mom uses on occasion for pain, I decided SENIOR ORNER to interview her pharmacist, Robert Fox, at Walgreens to get the facts straight. The FDA has stated that a maximum of 3,000 milligrams or less of products containing MARLA LUCKHARDT acetaminophen is safe in a full 24-hour period. Since approximately 600 products – over-the-counter and prescribed – contain acetaminophen, the potential for dangerous medication interaction should be monitored by your doctor for the maximum safe dosages. When you ingest acetaminophen, a toxic component is metabolized when broken down by the liver. The liver identifies this and holds onto it until it can deactivate it. Too much of this can put
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a strain on the liver and cause damage. Although the liver can regenerate, it’s a good idea, per Fox, to “not push the envelope” and stick to the recommended maximum dosage. Prescription drugs such as Vicodin and Percocet contain acetaminophen. Your doctor will set the dosage but be careful not to combine these with additional over-the-counter drugs, as you might exceed the limit. I asked Robert about the difference between OTC pain medications whose primary ingredient is ibuprophen, aspirin or acetaminophen. What an education I got! Some compounded medications have blood-thinning properties, others contain small amounts of caffeine. There are antiinflammatory ingredients, and different formulations for different strengths of the same product, so it’s important to read the labels on everything you buy to make sure the “combination” medications are free of whatever might give you a harmful reaction. Recently a loved one got what he thought was a cold. He took a product that raised his blood pressure but see Meds page 6B
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