Expert: Dr. Ravindra Bhaskar Ghooi - 6/30/2009

Question
Hi with all this talk about liver damage when taking too much tylenol or acetaphetomin what is more toxic, tylenol or Opiates such as: oxycontin to your liver?. I take a lot of tylenol for migraines and back pain, and I have Hepatitis B. So I need to know. And I also take opiates, for pain too, and it works much better than Tylenol dont ask me why it just does. I dont need that high of doses though either. Thanks

Answer
Hi Howard,
I am not surprised you get better pain relief with opiates than tylenol. Opiates are better drugs than tylenol. With tylenol the dose that is dangerous if you are taking more than 3 grams a day for a long time, that means for months. Opiates are less toxic to the liver, but they too can cause damage when used for long. The toxicity is higher for you since your liver is already reeling under a viral attack. My suggestion would be to stick to opiates rather than tylenol. I hope this answers your questions.
Ravi