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Q
In April, 1995, our 23-year-old son died after spending one week in the hospital. He had taken OTC products containing acetaminophen for about 4 or 5 days(as close as all available information indicates). After he died, an autopsy was performed. The cause of death was listed as "acetaminophen overdose". All of what we've read since that time concerning acetaminophen and it's effects on the liver have been rather soft on this situation, i.e., the manufacturers say things like "only in cases of severe one-time ingestions" or "only if the person is a chronic alcoholic" can something like a fatal overdose occur through the use of acetaminophen OTC products.

What about this? Something does not compute, and our family is desperately attempting to cross this bridge of confusion/misinformation/issue-skirting.

Thank you for any help you may give us.

A
... sorry to hear about your son. Acetaminophen can, by itself, produce liver toxicity. In adults, such toxicity has rarely been reported with acute overdoses of less than 10 grams and fatalities with less than 15 grams. Acute renal failure also occurs in some patients.

Information from manufacturers of products containing acetaminophen, caution that patients who regularly consume large amounts of alcohol not exceed the recommended doses of the drug. Last year, in response to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommendation ( which came from an American Liver Foundation hearing ) that OTC manufacturers agreed to publish a warning that those who consume three or more alcoholic drinks a day, to consult a physician before using these products. The Internet reference to this was dated July of this year. ( Out of curiousity I checked a vial of acetaminophen I had and found that I should 'read inside carton for important additional information' - I suspect that as in my case, such caution is not heeded).

If you want more information, you may care to contact:-

American Liver Foundation,
1425 Pomptom Avenue,
Cedar Grove, NJ 07009.
( 1-800-465-4837

Best wishes.

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