Two of the most commonly taken over-the-counter painkillers could be putting people at risk. Doctors are now warning people that taking Ibuprofen and Tylenol — also known as acetaminophen — more than occasionally can cause serious harm, including risks of stomach ulcers, liver failure and kidney damage. Both medications — taken by millions to treat everything from headaches to fever — are safe when taken correctly. However, even slightly exceeding the recommended dose can cause permanent liver and kidney damage. The danger with Ibuprofen comes from how the drug is processed by the body, irritating the stomach lining and increasing the risk of stomach ulcers that could lead to peritonitis — an infection of the lining of the stomach. The problem with Tylenol lies in how it's processed by the liver. People think it’s harmless, but if you’re exceeding the recommended amount in one day, you can still overdose. When Tylenol breaks down in the body, it produces a byproduct called NAPQI. At low doses, it breaks down in the liver, but at high doses the liver can become overwhelmed, leading to permanent liver failure. Left untreated, severe liver damage and scarring can lead to cirrhosis, leaving patients in need of a liver transplant. While doctors aren’t saying you should never take Ibuprofen or Tylenol, they are warning people of the possibility of inadvertently overdosing on them.
