(NC)—Medication safety is a topic of great discussion and it can be confusing to know which drugs are safe to take. Dr. Dan Ezekiel, a family physician, clears up common confusion regarding the relationship between Tylenol and alcohol.
Q: Is it true that combining Tylenol and alcohol can cause serious harm? Is it safe to take Tylenol when I'm hung-over?
A: What we have learned over the years, is that Tylenol's reputation of being a safe and effective medication holds true even when it comes to alcohol. A recent study was conducted whereby alcoholic patients were given therapeutic doses of acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol) to determine the impact it had on their livers. The study found that Tylenol was safe, even in this high risk patient population.
When it comes to hangovers, the same holds true. Tylenol can be taken as directed to help relieve the pain of that splitting headache. It is the pain reliever most recommended by doctors and data accumulated over 50 years shows that acetaminophen has an unmatched safety record among all over-the-counter pain relievers. For example, acetaminophen is a safer choice for people who may be at a greater health risk. This includes individuals such as asthmatics, the elderly, patients taking multiple prescription drugs, patients taking anti-coagulants, patients who are breast-feeding, as well as patients who may suffer from chronic alcoholism, serious kidney or liver disease. Medications known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, have been linked to stomach ulcers and gastric bleeds.
If you have any concerns about the safety of a specific medication, it's best to consult with your doctor or pharmacist.
Source: www.newscanada.com
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