Flu season across the United States, federal health officials said Friday Beware of Overdose of Drugs

Flu Season Beware of Overdose of Drugs During the recent flu season, many people may have been troubled by symptoms such as fever, sore throat, cough, muscle aches and nasal congestion. possible…

During flu season, beware of drug overdose. During the recent flu season, many people may have been troubled by symptoms such as fever, sore throat, cough, muscle aches and nasal congestion. Someone may take different medications to treat various symptoms, in order of onset and severity. What you may not realize is that there is an ingredient, acetaminophen, which is contained in almost every drug you take. Acetaminophen, commonly sold as Tylenol in North American pharmacies, is used to help with pain relief, fever, sleep, coughs, colds, and allergies. Overall, it is found in more than 600 over-the-counter and prescription drugs and is one of the most common drug ingredients in the United States. David Samadi, M.D., associate chair of the Department of Urology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, said acetaminophen is safe when taken within a normal range of doses. However, if taken in excess, severe liver damage is likely. In fact, acetaminophen is the number one cause of acute liver failure in the United States. If you take multiple medications to treat a single symptom of a cold or flu, or if you take one medication for back pain and another for a cold, you may be at higher risk of damaging your liver. Unfortunately, some symptoms of liver damage can be easily confused with flu symptoms: for example, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, general discomfort or lethargy. If you think you have taken too much acetaminophen, contact your doctor or go to the emergency room right away. According to recommendations from the National Institutes of Health, no more than 4,000 milligrams of acetaminophen should be taken in a day. Experts advise that if you drink 3 or more alcoholic drinks a day, have liver disease, or are taking the blood thinner warfarin, you should seek advice from your doctor. Parents should guide their children to take medicines according to the instructions for use, especially children aged 2 to 11 years old. Children two years of age and younger should not take acetaminophen. Most importantly, do not take more than one medicine containing acetaminophen at the same time. Look carefully for the following keywords: APAP, acetam, acetamin and other abbreviations for acetaminophen. Experts also caution that you need to read the label instructions on the pill bottle carefully and follow the directions and take no more than the recommended amount of medication. When in doubt, ask a pharmacist or doctor.