Wow, did you know that acetaminophen is in over 600 prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications? Honestly, I had no idea. Thankfully, when products with acetaminophen are used as directed it is safe and effective, but did you know that taking too much can cause liver damage? Acetaminophen is the most common drug ingredient in the U.S., and it’s important to note there’s a limit to how much you can take daily. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has set a maximum daily dose of 4,000 milligrams (mg) of acetaminophen in a 24-hour period.
Since 7 in 10 Americans use over-the-counter (OTC) medicines to treat cold and flu symptoms each year, we have joined KnowYourDose.org to help educate people on the prevalence of acetaminophen in many medications and help encourage safe acetaminophen use steps. It’s also important to note that acetaminophen comes in several different forms – chewable tablets, powders, liquids, and suppositories, and many multi-symptom cold and flu medicines contain acetaminophen.
Oh, and do you want to know something else? Nearly 50% of acetaminophen overdoses are unintentional and result of not following the medication label. It’s important that we all understand the facts about acetaminophen before dosing this cold and flu season.
Get the Facts About Acetaminophen Before Dosing This Cold and Flu Season
To help keep you and your loved ones safe this cold and flu season, here are some tips about safe acetaminophen use that we all need to be aware of.
Read your medication labels
When you take a prescription or over-the-counter medication, make sure to read the label. Each prescription or over-the-counter medication has specific instructions that you should read and follow as directed.
Know if your medicines contain acetaminophen.
Be sure to check both prescription and over-the-counter medication ingredients to see if the medication contains acetaminophen. Over-the-counter medications containing acetaminophen have the word “acetaminophen” either on the front of the bottle or package typed in bold letters, or highlighted in the active ingredients section of the Drug Facts label. On prescription medications, acetaminophen may be listed as “APAP,” “acetam,” or another shortened version of the word.
Take only one medicine at a time that contains acetaminophen. Double check; it’s not okay to double up!
Since it’s possible to accidentally take too much acetaminophen, be sure not to use more than one medication containing acetaminophen at the same time.
Be sure to ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about dosing instructions or medicines that contain acetaminophen
Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist if you have questions about acetaminophen, especially if you drink three or more alcoholic drinks daily or have liver disease. This could cause a greater risk of liver damage. You’ll also want to talk to your doctor before taking anything containing acetaminophen if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or take warfarin.
Know where you can get additional information
You can find additional information about acetaminophen by visiting KnowYourDose.org. They have tons of useful information that you can download such as:
- Interactive medicine label reader
- Acetaminophen Dosing for Infants and Children chart
- List of common medicines with acetaminophen
- Information on managing chronic pain
- Tips to prepare for cold and flu season
Always use dosing device that comes with medication when treating your child’s symptoms
When your child is suffering from cold or flu symptoms and you choose to treat their symptoms with an OTC, it’s important to use the dosing device that comes with the medicine.
You may want to bookmark this page or print out the above guide provided by KnowYourDose.org, which can help you give your child the right amount of acetaminophen.
To learn more about acetaminophen this cold and flu season, visit KnowYourDose.org.
This is a sponsored post written on behalf of KnowYourDose.org. All opinions are my own.