Re: Tylonal and other meds?

November 24, 2008

dear Tammy i work in a hospital pharmacy...i am an LPN / Iv technician some of

what i do is to prepare rescue drugs to protect the liver and kidney in cases of

overdoses. all drugs are filtered thru the liver and kinneys some more the

others...please read thes links. and when i go to work tonight i will try to get

more info from the experts.

http://www.liverdisease.com/medications_hepatitis.html

http://liverdisease.com/painkillers_hepatitis.html

________________________________

To: group <livercirrhosissupport >

Sent: Sunday, November 23, 2008 10:56:17 PM

Subject: Tylonal and other meds?

Hi,

When I was told i had cirrhosis the doc told me I could only take tylonal from

now on. I usually take ibroprofin-- I have scoliosis so lots of back issue's

and lifting my daughter who is 50 pounds of dead weight into the tub, changing

her all that good stuff does not help my back any. when the doc said only

tylonal I told him I thought it was toxic for me and he said that really

anything i put in my body right now would be, but that tylonal was the best for

right now since the others make your blood thin. Can't win for loosing i guess

with that. So needless to say i have just been avoiding all of them and seeing

the chiropractor more--lol. But it seems to me anyway that each doc i ask

about it says a differernt thing--so who do I listen to about it--lol.

I am also so darn tired all the time---are there any vitamins or something I

should ask the doc about? I told him I was tired all the time but he didnt

mention anything and we started talking about other things, so it may have

sliped his mind. It seems like i get the kids up get them school then come home

and sleep for 3-4 hours. That is not me---I am usually all over the place(did i

mention i have ocd too--lol). So not being able to keep the house up like i use

to bugs me--but I have come to terms that the dirt will be there when I am

feeling better--dang it!

thanks, Tammy

November 24, 2008

this was a answer to a question posted on this site:

A Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is a medication used to control pain (known as an

analgesic) and fever (known as antipyretic). In small doses (less than 4 grams

per day, or eight pills taken over a twenty-four hour period of time)

acetaminophen is quite safe for the liver—unless combined with alcoholic

beverages. (Note: each acetaminophen tablet or pill typically contains 500

milligrams of acetaminophen.) In fact, acetaminophen is the recommended

medication for relieving minor aches, pains, and headaches in people with liver

disease. However, when taken in excessive quantities or when combined with

alcohol, acetaminophen may cause death due to liver failure.

The consumption of alcohol in conjunction with acetaminophen significantly

increases the likelihood that a person will incur severe liver damage.

Therefore, people who consume alcohol on a regular basis should probably limit

acetaminophen intake to a maximum of 1 to 2 grams per day (that is, two to four

pills within a twenty-four hour period). Still, the best advice for people with

liver disease is to totally abstain from alcohol.

People should take special note that acetaminophen is also an active ingredient

in more than 200 other medications, including Nyquil and Anacin 3. Therefore, it

is essential to read the labels of all over-the-counter medications carefully.

Other commonly used medications, such as omeprazole (Prilosec), phenytoin

(Dilantin), and isoniazid (INH), may increase the risk of liver injury caused by

acetaminophen. It is always in the liver patient’s best interest to consult with

a liver specialist prior to taking any medication.

Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) and other NSAIDs such as Motrin are drugs that

are widely used for their anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. They also

have the potential to cause drug-induced liver disease. In fact, many NSAIDs

have been withdrawn from the market due to their hepatotoxicity. All NSAIDs have

the potential to cause liver injury. However, some NSAIDs are more hepatotoxic

than others. NSAIDs presently on the market that have been frequently associated

with liver injury are aspirin (ASA), diclofenac (Voltaren), and sulindac

(Clinoril).. Ibuprofen (Motrin) has been reported to cause severe liver injury

in people with hepatitis C.

It is recommended that people with advanced liver disease avoid using all

NSAIDs. If NSAIDs are medically required for the treatment of another medical

disorder, a reduced dose should be used for a limited period of time and only by

people with stable liver disease. Older women with liver disease seem to be

particularly susceptible to the hepatotoxicity of NSAIDs and are advised to

avoid NSAIDs altogether. Since NSAIDs may cause salt and water retention people

with fluid retention problems such as ascites or leg swelling may suffer

worsening of these conditions. People with decompensated cirrhosis are at

increased risk kidney damage stemming from the use of NSAIDs. Since this may

lead to hepatorenal syndrome, people with advanced liver disease are advised to

totally avoid all NSAIDs. Furthermore, people with ascites (fluid accumulation)

may not respond to treatment with water pills (diuretics), while on NSAIDs, as

they counteract their

actions. People with liver disease who have had internal bleeding, - from an

ulcer or esophageal varices, for example, may be at risk for recurrent bleeding

induced by NSAIDs, and should totally avoid this class of medications. People

who are also taking corticosteroids (such as prednisone), or anticoagulants

(such as coumadin) may have and increased risk of complications from NSAIDs.

Finally, people with liver disease who smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol should