Officials will also tout the drug leucovorin as a potential autism treatment, in what President Donald Trump has billed as a “very important” announcement.
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I’ve got no idea what the alleged evidence for this is, but what I do know is that the people making these announcements are completely untrustworthy.
I think the reason people overdose on Tylenol, and often don’t realize that’s the problem until their liver is failing, is that for decades Tylenol was presented as the “safe” choice for fever and pain control. Which really just means it’s not going to give little kids Reye Syndrome. But because you’ve absorbed that idea as a little kid, you’re not looking for danger unless you specifically re-learn about overdose hazard. And too many people don’t, because shitty education. Then you add all the mixed “cold and flu” OTC medications with the ingredients in tiny print, and the fact that by the time you have uncomfortable symptoms it’s probably too late to pump your stomach, so people die. And that’s without counting in the little ones who got into the grape chewables or drank the whole bottle of the baby’s bubblegum liquid.
Editing to add: In my experience, Tylenol just doesn’t do a very good job of easing pain, which might also lead to overdose. It never worked for my severe period cramps, which Advil did. And there’s a case of a man dying because he took 5 extra-strength every hour trying to control his dental pain, which I would never do but I can affirm it doesn’t do shit for toothache either.
But autism? Nah.
A combination of ibuprofen and acetaminophen (paracetamol) is a crazy effective painkiller. It’s been found to be even more effective than some opioids. Watch your dosage, know what you’re taking, and it’s perfectly safe.
If you do that, be sure to space them out, alternating, with at least a couple of hours between. Having done it on doctor’s advice, I’ve noticed the Tylenol is barely enough to keep me hanging on as the previous Advil wears off and until I can take the next one. I’m not 💯% sure it was helping at all, but at least I could say to myself, “surely it will be kicking in any moment now…” until I got through to where I could start saying “Only half an hour more until you can take the good stuff.”
I think people have idiosyncratic responses to pain meds. I don’t respond to Aleve either. Aspirin is mildly helpful. But a single Motrin was all I needed the day after a C-section.
Huge risk of liver toxicity. Mix two drugs then drink like an average American and the liver has no chance.
People take 2x doses of ibuprofen to recover from hangover.
Then don’t drink. Why would you mix poison with medicine and think that’s an ok thing to do? No shit that’s bad for you.
If you are taking any kind of medicine, don’t drink. If people are too stupid to realize that, then they are deserving of the Darwin Award.
Also, don’t eat grapefruit when taking medicine. That one is more forgivable because it’s not obvious it’s a problem.
Preaching to the choir haha.
Regarding your point on the efficacy of acetaminophen: agreed wholeheartedly. Like /u/i_has_a_hat said, if you combine it with ibuprofen it’s far more effective. My go-to for bad pain is 500-1000mg acetaminophen and 400mg ibuprofen; I stole the idea from my ex’s neurologist when he prescribed it for dealing with the side effects of her main medication (and he also specifically said it would help with her period cramps too, hers were always bad).
As to the guy taking 5 an hour… That’s an incredible amount of acetaminophen, even “normal strength”. You said you wouldn’t, I think I couldn’t take that many pills. Just the idea has me gagging 🤢 I think it’s fair to call that one an outlier in the data.
My doctors have said to take them alternating, not at the same time, and it has worked to smooth out the waves a bit although I’m definitely aware of the difference in effectiveness.
And yes, that dude must have been crazy, badly misunderstood directions, or just in such agonizing pain he didn’t care he was killing himself. Sadly, liver failure is also a painful way to go.