Expert: Sharon Erdrich - 12/30/2011

Question
How does tylenol affect the body?

Answer
Hello Nethanel
Tylenol, or acetaminophen, is also known as paracetamol and it is a very commonly used drug for reducing pain and fever.  Overdose accounts for over 50,000 admissions to hospital in the USA each year.
A recent study showed that use of acetaminophen during influenza (flu) increased the risk of, er, death!

There are a number of things to consider when using it:
1.  It is metabolised in the liver and acute overuse or heavy chronic use can cause liver damage. It is a leading cause of liver failure in the Western world and the leading cause of drug-induced liver failure in the United States - this risk is increased with concomitant use of other liver-damaging drugs, or alcohol. The maximum daily dose for an adult is 3000mg per day.

2. As well as liver problems, the following conditions cause extra risks when using it: glaucoma, kidney disease, an enlarged prostate, problems with urination.  Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should avoid it - while effects on the unborn child are not known, it does pass through breast milk and may harm the baby.

3.  Acetaminophen use has been linked to an increased risk of "blood cancers" such as lymphoma and myelodysplastic syndrome.

4.  Acetaminophen acts on the temperature-regulating part of the brain, bringing down a high fever.  However, fever serves an important function for the immune system - basically "kick-starting" the immune response.  High temperatures are also an important way for the body to combat viruses and bacteria, and history has shown that those children who experience higher fevers with things like measles infection have been survival rates.  A good source for further reading on this is here: http://www.whale.to/a/west8.html
Evidence suggests that both aspirin and paracetamol increase mortality in severe infection, and that they may prolong the infection and reduce the antibody response in mild disease.

5.  Acetaminophen renders the white blood cells (infection fighters) less effective, thus giving the virus the upper hand.  Also, viruses only replicate rapidly within a very narrow temperature band – possibly as tight at 2 or 3 degrees. A raised temperature of as little as 1 1/2 degrees above normal can reduce the reproduction rate by 10 or even 100 fold. Using paracetamol only perpetuates the virus multiplication and makes things worse.

6.  laboratory studies also show that paracetamol triggers the release of the feel-good brain chemical serotonin, which as well as boosting its pain-relieving benefits, can have an indirect effect on memory, by reducing feelings of stress (which can affect memory).  This may also increase people's "like" for the drug, as it is acting as a bit of an antidepressant.

If you feel a strong need to use tylenol, then you need to be aware of these facts, plus read the labels of any other drugs you are taking so as to avoid overdose/additional liver-toxic drugs.

There is another consideration, that gains weight given research showing that viruses are at the core of many cancers - "does blocking the immune response to viral infection cause the virus to remain dormant in the body (rather than be killed off completely), causing chronic health problems, including cancer, later in life?

I strongly recommend trialing a lower dose of the drug for minor pain and that no more than these four doses of paracetamol to be given for any one illness unless under medical or pharmacist supervision.

If you want other specific information, please let me know.
Regards
Sharon