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tylenol od?

I am 26 years old and have been living with sever depressive disorder and chronic back pain for about ten years.  Until September everything was fine, but my doctor decided to cut me off my pain meds because "im too young to be dependent on pain meds at my age for a condition that would not improve... basically she told me to take Tylenol and learn to live with it). Since then I have been taking ALOT of Tylenol to get through the day, but have felt find until this past week.  Last Monday I feel down the stairs and so I bought a 100 pill bottle of extra strength Tylenol (50grams) and by Wednesday morning I was shocked to find the bottle empty.  I want to be clear, my depression is well under control, I have a thousands things I am looking forward to in the next weeks and months and I love my life and the people in it and I am not in the least bit suicidal... I say this because if I read this it be difficult for me to believe it was not a suicide attempt.  Now its Friday and I feel absolutely fine, I have exams to study for and a big Easter dinner with family this weekend.  
I know I have taken a crazy amount of medications, but I need to know what to expect.  I am hesitant to go to emerge because when I was a teenage I attempted suicide twice and had a serious narcotic addiction - if I go to the hospital their going to to treat me like a suicide, ill be committed for days and I promised myself years ago I would not see the look of fear and shame on my fathers face again.
Im not sure what information is needed; in 26, 5foot9 and about 215lbs and have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Basically - now that its Friday and I feel fine am OK? or at worse is the damage done and wort get worse?  Or finally, can this wait until after Easter holidays and exams next week before seeing my doctor?  Any other info would be appreciated... knowing what to expect in the coming days would be helpful also.
BTW, Hope you and your families have a happy Easter.
Best Answer
Avatar universal
OK im researching it right now.  according to tylenol acute toxicity is defined as 7.5grams (average adult) in an 8 hour period.  A chronic overdose is termed repeated supratherputic. in other words repeated more than once.  I suggest you need to at least go to the nearest er. they can draw blood and they have a special tehttp://www.tylenolprofessional.com/assets/Overdose_Monograph.pdfst just for checking tylenol levels.   My main concern is the amount of time it takes for someone to start feeling sick can be days.  by the time you notice it could be bad.  Good Luck
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Avatar universal
I'm interested in this also. Someone I know just took 35,000 mg of Extra Strength Tylenol a little more than 24 hours ago. He says he feels fine, just a little nauseous. I'm worried about the effects on him. He weighs about 250 lbs, so I was thinking that this was a LOT to take.
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1 Comments
That’s really quite a lot. He runs the risk of liver failure. I’d get him to the ER immediately. If you can’t get him to go, buy some N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and take the maximum dose listed on the bottle each day for several days.
Avatar universal
Hi im from the UK is what you have taken like paracetomol? If so please go to the ER ASAP, I know you are scared but it's better to deal with the facts than constantly worrying about what you might have done to yourself. I wish you luck.
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Avatar universal
HI you need to listen to tom and put your life first go to the er and have them do a liver panel on you you can die without feeling a thing
you messed up no fix it or at leat find out where you stand......Gnarly
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Avatar universal
I have tried for months now to get my doctor to give me something for my back.  My previous doctor was way to liberal with pain meds and had me high levels of percocet for 5 years, after 4 i was addicted and started university.  I found it very easy to manipulate the system to have three doctors (two at the university) given me huge scripts.  Thank God in 2006 my sister performed an intervention, and from than until my new doctor abruptly cut me off I was on two pain meds - tramacet and ultram.  I was able to take 2 -4 of those a day and function fully.  All my doctor tells me to do is loss weight at take Tylenol and aspirin which has little effect.  She states that since my back injury can no longer be cured (there have been three surgical attempts).  Ive tried telling her that small doses of those meds would drastically improve my quality of life she tells me losing weight will do the same (i was 160 pounds when the pain started and has been constant despite the fact that I now weigh 215... at which point i try telling her if my back wernt so bad I could work out and loss the weight... she just either dosnt care, is too backed up with other paitence or lazy... havnt figured out whcih.
The big problem, that she does not seem to care about) is that I have to take massive amounts of tylenol or asprin or mydol just to get through a day of school - even more to get through the two days of placement for my course each week.
THank you Bkitty, and I hope you have a terrific easter
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Avatar universal
Hi and Welcome! When I was younger I OD'd on a bottle of tylenol PM (intentionally) . I was taken to the ER and given activated charcoal. I remember the next day they were more worried because of the amount of tylenol that I ingested and that therre could be late signs and symptoms of tylenol toxicity. I was given mucomyst (smells like rotten eggs) thru a tube in my nose as that is the antidote for tylenol toxicity. Tom posted great advice; Please if you are feeling bad please do as he posted and contact the poison control center or go to the ER immediately.
I am an RN today and the max dose of tylenol is 4grams in a 24 hour period . Can you have a talk with your doctor to discuss non narcotic pain management options? I wish you all the best~((hugs)) Bkitty
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Avatar universal
You are welcome.  I just worry and am trying to help.   Signs of liver failure are different from person to person.  Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes) late sign. Nausea vomiting abdominal pain.  just feeling bad.  Remember that these could be LATE signs.  Good luck  google liver damage from tylenol  check it out.  happy easter
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Avatar universal
TOM86:  My main concern is the amount of time it takes for someone to start feeling sick can be days.  by the time you notice it could be bad.

What exactly should I be looking for?  Pain and nausea?  I read in the last few minuets that with 8 hours over an od people are generally find... however no that so much time has past can they do more than assess the level of damage and tell me how to live with it (either via meds, diet, no alcohol etc).

To be honest I am growing concerned about this, but as a Catholic Easter is more important that Christmas. I do not want to be sick or spend forever in a hospital... I just cant shake the feeling that I feel fine.  If I am going to get sick over the next few days what should I be expecting and at point is it absolutly vital i get to an er?  I know your going to say immideatly, and the academic part of my brain says your right about that - but the other part of me strongly feels if I was going to get sick it would have happened by now.
TOM86 I want to take a moment to thank you for taking time to talk to me.  Your advice is being well taken, and I appreciate you have experience in this area.  I am just very reluctant going to the hospital when I feel fine, and to be honest even though it was an accident and I am not at all depressed; on the opposite I am looking forward to alot and have no been under any greater stress than any other college student) that I will still be forced on a psych hold
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Avatar universal
I sent you a message read it... I hope you are okay
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And what ever you do DONT DRINK ANY ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.  nothing that will put any more strain on your liver.  
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I understand your concerns. Then do this.  Go to a local urgent care.  I believe you can get your levels checked there.  I am a medic of 17 years.  Ive seen people die from tylenol OD's.  all i can do is tell you what I know.  you have to make the decision.  And no it may not be too late for the antidote to help save your liver.  If I were you Id do this.  Go to the er and say that you would like to haveyour tylenol levels checked.  say no more.  go from there.  You have to make that decision.  Im telling you that this could be serious. call posion control. how can you enjoy your family if something happens.  Good luck  Ive done all I can do.  
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Avatar universal
Tom, your advice is well revived however I little understanding on this.  The two suicides I attemped as a teen were with Percocet and other norctics and the second was with Gabapentic (a nerve pain med).  It was apparent both times I had to goto emerge.  I had a third accidental overdose when I was 20 when I took every pain medication I could in the house and it took three days in the hospital to get me clean (during the process I lost it so bad they thought I'd be, and forgive the word "retarded" for the rest of my life.
This time I feel totally fine... I get that I am probably going to have liver damage from this, but its been almost 72 hours - wouldnt that damage be done and irreparable already?  What I need to know is will I be able to get through Easter and my exams?  Its my understanding that deliberate or accidental ods kill quickly (within days).  Perhaps because of my ignorance it seems that at this point all they can tell me is how bad the damage is, and I am very looking forward to seeing my baby cousin on sunday and eager for my exams this week.
Obliviously I plan to see my doctor, and if wont hesitate if i quickly start feeling awfull I'll goto ER - but I literally feel fine.  My appatite is a bit down, but im sleep well, but my mood is high, and I am pumped for Easter Weekend.
Like I said, I am very ignorant about that all this means to my liver - but my brain is telling my im fine and over-reacting... need some reasurance of whats really going on and if possible what I am likely to expect at an emergency room... If I walk in looking fine its going to take forever to triage me and examine me... and I really do not want to miss time with my family to wait in an ER waiting room, especially if all they tell me if the damage is permanent and there is nothing they can do (I have a strong anti-ER bias bty - they misdiagnosed my appendicitis when I was 16 and missed my grandmothers lung cancer three times, only to diagnose her less than two weeks before she died).
Sorry for being so long winded - but its hard to ask for advice if you do not tell the whole story.
While physically I feel fine, I am starting to get concerned from previous posts.  Could someone tell me what to expect if I decide to celebrate Easter with my family... what symptoms etc. to expect.
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Avatar universal
That doesnt sound right.  How many Mg were each pill?  extra strength tylenol here is 500mg per pill  100 pills would be 50grams or the same as 50,000mg  .  so lets think about this . the maximum doseage in the 3 days would be 12 grams or 12,000mg .  that is still way too much.  if you wont go to the er at least call your local posion control.  they can tell you what to do.  i dont think they will ask for your name. 1-(800)-222-1222.
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Avatar universal
I many have miss counted to the pills... the bottle had 100, 50mg pills - wouldn't that be 50 grams over three days?  I am not arguing about the seriousness of this - I know I took way to much, but the urgency of 50 grams over 500grams could change a lot - just looking for clarification - and your prayers are well recieved
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Avatar universal
they have actually lowered the recomended doseage to 1gm at a time.  Dont worry about the past OD  just tell them the truth that it was accidental.  
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Avatar universal
Thats 500 grams of tylenol in 3 days.  I know that the max doseage is 4grams in 24 hours.  Tylenol toxicity usually doesnt start showing up until about 24 or 48 hours after the injestion.  Im very concerned that you may be begining severe irreversible liver damage.  Ive been in the medical field for 17 years.  GO TO THE NEAREST ER NOW.  if you catch it in time there is an antidote they can administer.   Good luck.  Dont panic  dont drive your self.  if you cant find a ride call 911.  The problem is you may not feel sick until it is too late.  I pray for you
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