July 7th, 2009

Reports the New York Times:

Few drugs are more ubiquitous than acetaminophen, the pain reliever found in numerous over-the-counter cold remedies and the headache drug Tylenol.

But last week, a federal advisory committee raised concerns about liver damage that can occur with overuse of acetaminophen, and the panel even recommended that the Food and Drug Administration ban two popular prescription drugs, Vicodin and Percocet, because they contain it.

The news left many consumers confused and alarmed. Could regular use of acetaminophen for pain relief put them at risk for long-term liver damage?

Visit the New York Times to read more, and get the answers to the following questions:

- What prompted the committee to look at acetaminophen in the first place?

- What did the panel recommend?

- As a precaution, should consumers switch to other types of over-the-counter pain relief?

- If I’ve been using a drug like Vicodin, should I be worried about long-term liver damage?

- What’s the main lesson from the panel review of acetaminophen?