by William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.
Acetaminophen is such a common household med that most people think it’s perfectly safe. Hopefully you’re not one of them.
But if you are, you can’t afford to miss this — because the news about this supposedly safe painkiller keeps getting worse.
According to the latest study, taking just four acetaminophen per week for four years could double your risk of blood cancer (called lymphoma).
Lymphoma is a disease that often has one of three causes: infection, a compromised immune system, or exposure to toxic chemicals.
Which category does acetaminophen fall into? It’s a trick question, because the answer is “all of the above.”
Acetaminophen overuse can damage the liver, reducing the body’s ability to fight infection. It can also cause liver failure, which is a dead giveaway of its toxicity.
It has even been linked to asthma in kids — yet another indication that it suppresses the immune system.
Add it all up, and you’ve got the lymphoma trifecta — a perfect storm of cancer risk factors.
It’s stunning that after 60 years on the market we’re still learning of new risks linked to this painkiller — and I’d bet money we’ll learn of even more down the road.
But instead of cutting back on this poorly understood drug, Big Pharma has been using it as the “secret ingredient” in just about everything. Last I checked, it was in some 300 pain, cold, and allergy products.
The feds have talked about limiting access, lowering the dose, blah blah blah — you know by now you can’t count on them to protect you.
You’ve got to protect yourself.
And by that, I don’t mean gobbling one a day to help prevent prostate cancer.
Just throw it out — and use the trashcan, not the toilet. We don’t need any more poison in the water supply.
PS. Acetaminophen is goes under the brand name of Tylenol.
I am a big user of Advil and especially naproxen. I use them for headaches and also for back and neck pain. It seems that every day I have some form of pain and also from arthritis. How bad is it to take these meds almost every day. Ive tried to cut back but in order to function with pain Naproxen is my choice most of the time. I live in pain , so what am I to do.
Hi Mary, I know this is an ongoing problem for others too. I am sorry that you are in pain. I know you are trying to live with less pain and are doing the best you can. Cutting back to the minimum you need is a good idea. Also, there may be dietary changes that can help your arthritis and some stretches as well. I’ll keep a lookout for you.
Dr. Gupta,
It seems like nothing is safe anymore to take.
Your articles are always very very helpful.
Thank you.
Hi Wilhelmina, it does seem that way, doesn’t it? But that is actually not true. There are many things which are actually good for you. The best thing you can do is to stay informed. My site is only one way and I try to bring as much good info to my audience as I can. Thank you for joining me!