Any of you been taking acetaminophin long term?

[nemesis]

My doc has me on acetaminophin, 2 grams a day. That's four extra strength tablets, or 6 regular strength tablets, a day.

Do any of you take acetaminophin regularly, and for a long time?

I don't drink alcohol nor do I take any other drugs (like Nyquil) that have acetaminophin.

 

[tRidiot]

2 grams a day is half to two-thirds the maximum recommended dosage. Used to be 4g a day, now some are cutting it back to 3g a day. Definitely if you have any liver issues.

Do not take high doses of acetaminophen along with high doses of NSAIDs (aspirin, aleve, ibuprofen) routinely. Bad juju.

 

[nemesis]

2 grams a day is half to two-thirds the maximum recommended dosage. Used to be 4g a day, now some are cutting it back to 3g a day. Definitely if you have any liver issues.

Do not take high doses of acetaminophen along with high doses of NSAIDs (aspirin, aleve, ibuprofen) routinely. Bad juju.

Thanks for the response. Actually, it's the maker of Tylenol who is cutting back their recommended dosage to 3 grams. They're doing it for liability reasons. There are so many other OTC drugs that have acetaminophin that people are going way over the 4 gram limit without knowing it. I didn't know, for example, that NyQuil has 650 mg of acetaminophin in a single dose.

There is still the 4 gram limit.

 

[SoonerDVM]

I don't touch the stuff. It's not that good as a pain reliever, it's go no anti-inflammatory action, and it's horrible for your liver.

 

[BadgeBunny]

At the height of my "issues" I was taking right at the 4 grams a day. In fact, I was so close to the "upper limits" that I kept a log of how much and when so I NEVER went over 4 grams in any given 24-hour period (try that math problem on for size ... ). It was the only thing (and still is) that gives me consistent relief and I believe is the reason I am not a prescription pill addict. The addition of 2 Exedrine Migraine tablets to a prescribed percocet gives me better, more consistent, longer lasting pain relief than 2 percocet, or any other stronger (and more addictive, controlled substances out there) that they tried on me. That said, my doctor did test my liver function every 90 days, without fail and a few times, did some testing every 30 days ...

Even now, like this morning at 2 am when I woke up with hurting so bad I couldn't get out of bed to even go get some meds, GC got me a percocet and 2 Excedrine Migraine. Did my neck exercises from the book while laying on my back in bed and fell back to sleep. Woke up a little stiff and sore, but all things considered right as rain.

All medications can be poisonous if not monitored and taken correctly ... I've been guilty of not being really careful in the past. I was lucky. Just be careful and pay attention. If you need to, keep a log. The most important thing is to find a way to manage your symptoms in the safest way possible.

 

[tRidiot]

The Bunny's got it down cold.

And I like Tylenol, it's my main pain reliever when I don't need the anti-inflammatory properties of ibuprofen. Like right now, I'm using advil for my tattoo because it's red and sore. In a couple of days when that goes away, I'll probably use just Tylenol.

 

[BadgeBunny]

The Bunny's got it down cold.

And I like Tylenol, it's my main pain reliever when I don't need the anti-inflammatory properties of ibuprofen. Like right now, I'm using advil for my tattoo because it's red and sore. In a couple of days when that goes away, I'll probably use just Tylenol.

Ohhhhhh ... You got ink?!?!? Pics?!?!?!

 

[Okie4570]

The Bunny's got it down cold.

And I like Tylenol, it's my main pain reliever when I don't need the anti-inflammatory properties of ibuprofen. Like right now, I'm using advil for my tattoo because it's red and sore. In a couple of days when that goes away, I'll probably use just Tylenol.

Just don't let it go too far...........like this..............go see an ER doc!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqXNwFh0ZM8&sns=em

 

[nemesis]

It's for a condition called "idiopathic neuropathy." I'd been suffering the symptoms for several months before I finally went to my doc. I also consulted two additional specialists. I've since had blood tests, x-rays and MRIs.

"Idiopathic" mostly means they don't know why I got it. I started drinking alcohol maybe two or three years ago and sometimes neuropathy happens from long term alcohol abuse. I didn't fall in that category but, regardless, I quit drinking.

The best they can do is treat the symptoms since they don't know what caused it. The acetaminophen is in a pill that also contains hydrocodone. 325 mg of acetaminophen. My primary care provider just cautions me to keep the acetaminophen dosage to no more than 2 grams a day. He cautions that for chronic usage. Definitely no more than 3 grams/day.

Badge Bunny, I'm really sorry you're having such a hard time with your condition. Speaking of 4 grams, doing the math, etc. Try calculating the max dose ceiling at any given time by computing the half life, etc. Especially since they don't know exactly what the half life is. I've seen estimates everywhere from 1 hour to 4 hours. I mostly see 1 to 2 1/2 hours. I've arbitrarily chosen 2 hours.

So, figure two extra strength Tylenol = 1000 mg = 1 gram. Half life = 2 hours. In two hours, that's 500 mg. In another 2 hours, that's 250 mg. In another 2 hours, that's 125 mg. So after the initial dose of 1000 mg (which is the maximum recommended allowable dose at any one time, for safety's sake), 6 hours later our (hypothetical) patient still has 125 mg in his system. But his therapy calls for 2 tablets every six hours. He takes two more. He's already got 125 mg in his system, he takes 1000 mg more, now he's got 1125 mg in his system which is 125 mg over the recommended limit.

It gets really confusing. Not only should one not go over 4 grams/day, he should be careful to space the doses apart so as not to violate the above.

In addition to staying well under 4 grams/day, I'm also trying to ingest foods that help improve liver function. Green tea. Walnuts. Leafy veges. That might just be so much voodoo, but what's the harm? (Of drinking green tea?)

Best of luck to you.

 

[aviator41]

I take Alieve when I have to supplement my script painkiller. Having reactive arthritis sucks. Script pain medication makes days tolerable and keeps me working. I've been taking one dose or another for something like 10 years. I've never taken more (and usually take less) than my script allows for. Why? because it's 'as needed' and sometimes I need it sometimes I don't. Like BB, I get regular liver function tests and blood work to make sure I'm not tanking an organ. Acetaminophen is some bad stuff if taken in too high of a dose or too long of a time.