[mctt]

Yes, https://www.thisamericanlife.org/505/use-only-as-directed

The episode shows how even small overdoses of acetaminophen can cause fatal liver damage, while decades of FDA delays and confusing drug labeling left millions of Americans at risk.

[astrange]

Tylenol is very safe if taken as prescribed. The overdose amount is relatively low, but not uniquely low.

The alternatives are worse - ibuprofen destroys your stomach lining if taken at the regular dose for too long.

[yes_man]

Ibuprofen also increases risk of strokes and NSAIDs have been linked to increased risk of intracerebral hemorrhage. It’s a question of whether benefits outweigh cons on population level and I am not an expert, but recommending ibuprofen over acetaminophen might be over-simplifying things. It depends on the person (their meds, their pre-existing conditions, their genetics etc)

[rsync]

"Tylenol is very safe if taken as prescribed. The overdose amount is relatively low, but not uniquely low."

The issue is that the overdose of Paracetamol is relatively similar to the effective, or safe, dose:

"(overdose) of paracetamol is caused by taking more than the recommended maximum daily dose of paracetamol for healthy adults (three or four grams),[38] and can cause potentially fatal liver damage. A single dose should not exceed 1000 mg ..." [1]

See the problem ? A mere 3x the single dose puts one in "potentially fatal liver damage" territory.

This problem is compounded dramatically in small children where errors in the estimation of the child's weight can put you half way to overdose before you even start. Now add a meniscus error as you fill a clear plastic cup in the middle of the night ... or Mom gives a dose at 5am without knowing that Dad already gave a dose at 2am ... ugh.

Compare this to Aspirin where the overdose is as high as 15-30x the effective dose.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracetamol#Overdose

[JumpCrisscross]

> Tylenol is very safe if taken as prescribed

I’ll note that if you aren’t used to taking Tylenol, be mindful of the difference between extra and regular strength. My dentist just wrote down a number of Tylenols to take every X hours, and I took them, but because they were extra strength I started hallucinating and chugging water during, I think, Detective Pikachu or some nonsense like it. My liver came out of it fine. But if I’d taken another handful poison control said they would have directed me to the ER. One more after that and it would have been permanent liver damage.

[Lammy]

> ibuprofen destroys your stomach lining if taken at the regular dose for too long.

This is how the VA killed my dad :/

[epcoa]

ibuprofen and similar are also much more likely to destroy your kidneys as well and exacerbate heart disease. Intermittent regular dose use is unlikely to cause kidney harm but people get in trouble in two ways: chronic extended use of higher “therapeutic” doses (800mg for ibuprofen) or they have other medical problems weakening kidney function.