Acetaminophen is an antipyretic painkiller that has become too familiar to the whole nation under the name of Tylenol while experiencing the new coronavirus infection.
Compared to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen, it is known to be safe because it has no gastrointestinal problems and has a low allergy rate. It is also a relatively safe and recommended medicine for pregnant women and breastfeeding women. Recently, it was mentioned in the media as a primary medicine for side effects such as fever and muscle pain when vaccinated against the new coronavirus infection, and when the infection rate of the new coronavirus was the highest, pharmacies ran out of stock.
Generally, a dose of 500 mg per unit is also available, but 650 mg of the western square (a preparation that maintains medicinal properties for a certain period of time) is not more effective, but is designed to keep the drug gradually for 8 hours. Because taking caffeine together with a certain amount (30 to 50 mg) increases the effectiveness, many pharmacies sell cold medicines containing the two ingredients together.
Tylenol has been established as the most familiar antipyretic painkiller after experiencing the period of the new coronavirus infection.
However, regarding the recent huge consumption of acetaminophen, I have come to think again about the problem of misuse and abuse of the drug. In the U.S., more than 2,500 people have died of overdose over the past 10 years, and an average of 100,000 people visit emergency rooms every year. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is trying to limit sales, but the huge advertising volume and lobbying of Johnson & Johnson, the manufacturer of Tylenol, are putting the brakes on it.
Since the maximum daily dose of this drug is 4g per day for adults, eight tablets (500 mg/tablet) are packaged for household safety. Some experts recommend setting the maximum Tylenol capacity to 3g per day in adults with normal liver function, as liver damage can occur at doses exceeding the daily standard. Further attention should be paid to long-term use for more than one week.
In particular, drinkers, malnourished, low-weight, elderly, epileptic, and drug users associated with acetaminophen metabolism can increase the risk of hepatotoxicity. In such cases, it is recommended not to lower the total daily capacity or take it. Studies have also shown that the frequency of use of pregnant women can slow children's language development, increase the risk of ADHD and autism.
Drugs can easily be exposed to misuse and abuse if they are accessible. Therefore, the danger should not be overlooked just because it is sold 24 hours a day at convenience stores as a safety medicine.
It is natural for the human body to develop heat in the early stages of infection of the disease-causing microorganisms. This is because most microorganisms that cause diseases are vulnerable to heat, so the human body raises its own body temperature and protects it. Therefore, heat is a natural and normal immune response to protect the body from disease, but ignoring this and using an antipyretic unnecessarily can disrupt our body's immune system, which can lead to the destruction of our immune system.
Once again, we need to remind ourselves of the use of antipyretic painkillers, which are essential in the age of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Writer: Yeyoung Jeon
(Image from Tylenol)
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