Tylenol troubles for liver

The recommended daily limit of 4 gm may be too high.

University of North Carolina researchers found that a significant number of participants in a recent trial had notable abnormalities in a liver enzyme test called ALT. These elevations occured after two weeks daily dosing of a combination analgesic that provided 4,000 mg of Tylenol (acetaminophen) in a day. While such elevations do indicate liver damage, all the participants normalized their levels after they discontinued the drug.

Twelve Tylenol tablets in a day may sound like a lot, but many persons with chronic pain easily ingest the equivalent amount of acetaminophen through products such as Vicodin or Lortab. Eight tablets of Vicodin ES or 5-6 tablets of Lortab-Plus contain 4 gm of acetaminophen.