In October, a new warning label will be included on the caps of all bottles of Extra Strength Tylenol in the United States. In just over a month, a new, red warning alert will appear on every bottle of the medication, alerting users to the potentially fatal risks that can result from using too much of the popular pain killer. For the millions of people who take Tylenol and other medications like it, the reason behind Tylenol’s new label is worth reading about.
Tylenol, like many other pain relievers used in the U.S. contains acetaminophen, which has been connected to serious medical reactions in users, including liver failure. While the medication is generally believed to be safe, there is no denying the fact that overuse of the drug (more than the recommended 3,000– 4,000 milligrams a day) could result in death. Adverse reactions to the medication have also been found among users who consume the drug with alcohol, as well as individuals who mix the drug with other medications that contain acetaminophen, such as Sudafed and Nyquil. Consuming an acetaminophen drug in conjunction with certain other types of prescription medications can also lead to serious, if not life-threatening, consequences.
Given the rising number of lawsuits – 85 reported personal injury cases in federal court so far – that have been made against Johnson & Johnson (the parent company of the manufacturers of acetaminophen-containing drugs such as Tylenol) and increasing pressure from the federal government, the new warning label doesn’t seem like a bad idea. In fact, some people might find themselves questioning why such an action is only now being executed. Between 55,000 and 80,000 people in the U.S. are sent to the emergency room every year as the result of overdoses from acetaminophen, and another 500 take their lives through acetaminophen overdoses.
More than 600 common, over-the-counter and prescription medications contain acetaminophen, some of which include:
- Tylenol
- Excedrin
- Nyquil
- Sudafed
The widespread use of the pain reliever has caused some pharmacies to carry only the extra strength version of Tylenol, with regular strength nowhere to be found. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that approximately one in four U.S. adults uses Extra Strength Tylenol every week.
As of now, McNeil (a child company of Johnson & Johnson) is the only drug manufacturer that has adopted the bottle-cap warning. The warning label has not yet become an industry-wide initiative, but evidence certainly suggests that it could become so not long from now. Currently, only Extra Strength Tylenol will carry the cap warning, but other versions of Tylenol will be manufactured with the new alert in only a matter of months, as has been reported by the drug’s manufacturer.
As the reports and findings against the acetaminophen pain reliever continue to grow, so too does the national attention being paid to the matter. The serious medical issues that have been connected to the use of the popular pain killer have been on the radar of The Senators Firm for some time now. As professional California defective drug lawyers, we are committed to helping victims of harmful medication seek maximum compensation for their pain and suffering. Please don’t hesitate to contact our office to learn more about how our legal team can help you secure damages.