This week a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee recommended severely restricting the availability of prescription and over-the-counter pain medications that contain acetaminophen. 

The panel recommended banning the use of popular prescription pain medications that combine acetaminophen with opiate narcotic medication including Vicodin and Percocet. The panel also recommended that the maximum dosage of over-the-counter painkillers that contain acetaminophen -- including Tylenol and Excedrin, be significantly lowered.

The recommendations follow the recent release of a FDA report in which officials provided data showing that severe liver damage and death may result from persistent and/or misuse of products containing acetaminophen. Experts suggested that consumer perception that acetaminophen products are safer due to a general awareness that the drugs are easier on the stomach possibly contributes to there being an especially high risk of misuse.

A particularly troubling trend according to the panel is the tendency for some consumers to combine the use of prescription drugs like Vicodin and Percocet with over-the-counter medications like Tylenol and Excedrin -- often because they don't understand that both contain acetaminophen. According to Dr. Lewis S. Nelson, chairman of the FDA's Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee, "There are many deaths that relate to problems with prescription opiate combination . . . ". 

While it is unclear what regulations may result from the recommendations, panel experts agree that increased awareness of the dangers represents an important step towards lowering the dangers of misuse.

Other Recent Living the Science News:
FDA Confirms Presence of Bacteria in Nestle Cookie Dough Products
Fat Intake Linked with Pancreatic Cancer
Mediterranean Diet Increases Longevity