Alright, which is it - acetaminophen or Hep C?

[rambleon40]

"Acetaminophen Is Leading Cause of Acute Liver Failure"

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Psychiatry/Depression/2233


Oh my.  What to believe.  :-)

[orphanedhawk]

That article you posted was dated 2005. At that time, maybe acetaminophen
was the number one cause of liver failure.
Now, it's hep C.

However nobody has landed up needing an emergency liver transplant because of hep C. They have from taking too much Tylenol.

[FlGuy]

Four out of five hepatologists who chew gum recommend acetaminophen for their hepatitis c patients whether they chew gum or not.

[HectorSF]

Yes, I you have cirrhosis you should only use Acetaminophen. NSAIDs are very dangerous for cirrhotics. This is the standard at all liver transplant centers for years. There is no debate about it.


Hector

[maybe368]

you got it, At one time the deadliest od in kids was acetaminophen, it acutely attacks the liver. Hep c chronically attacks the liver and is a common cause of chronic problems like cancer and cirrhosis...Mark

[WmoMitch]

Good question--and above responses are all relevant.  Key word here is "acute".  Mushrooms and acetaminophen overdosage, esp in combination with alcohol are key causes of acute failure.  Chronic Hep C is a long term process.    Wm

[willbb]

I agree with corragio:

It often comes up here which is the best pain med to take.Everybody is different as far as risks go depending on many health issues.Article below explains some of these for those that haven"t see it.
Will

http://hepatitiscnewdrugs.blogspot.com/


Liver damage. Acetaminophen, the No. 1 nonprescription pain reliever, does not cause GI bleeding, but long-term frequent use or even large single doses can cause severe liver damage. In fact, acetaminophen overdosing is the most common cause of acute liver failure in the U.S., often as the result of suicide attempts. Most people still don’t know about this risk and don’t realize that acetaminophen is in hundreds of OTC cold, allergy and headache products and some prescription pain relievers. Check labels for acetaminophen, and don’t take more than 4 grams—equal to eight Extra Strength Tylenol tab--lets—a day from all sources. Alcohol (three drinks or more at a time) and certain other drugs increase the risk. Heavy drinkers and those with liver disease should  at least limit, acetaminophen. Taking the drug while fasting also increases the risk.

• Kidney damage. NSAIDs (and acetaminophen to a lesser extent) can damage the kidneys. If you have kidney disease, talk to your doctor about pain reliever safety.

Here’s our advice

For healthy people who take OTC pain relievers as directed, the risks are relatively small. However, because these drugs are so popular, thousands of Americans are affected every year. Don’t let these concerns prevent you from taking the drugs if you need them, but do follow this advice, especially if you take pain relievers often:

[coraggio]

Acetaminophen is the number one recommended pain reliever by most hepatologists for those who are undergoing HCV treatment or who have HCV even with advanced liver disease.  No more than 2000 mg per day and if cirrhotic, follow doctor's recommendation.

[Idyllic]

This is a good question. I know it comes up a lot but with the recent influx of newer members it never hurts to bring it up.

One thing I never saw mention of before is a comment in that blue box with the bulleted list:
Inform patients that acetaminophen dosing greater than 7.5 g/day could be hazardous. Reassure them, however, that acetaminophen-related liver toxicity is an uncommon occurrence, and that the drug itself is not toxic.

_______________
I remember the response the second GI I ever saw (related to my HCV) gave me when I asked him why is it permissible to take Tylenol. He said in all seriousness, "It doesn't matter, your liver is damaged already."
*Gee..umm OK. Thanks for that.