from University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Acetaminophen is a widely-used pain reliever, appearing in many forms of over-the-counter medications—headache relief, sleep aids, cold and flu remedies and even some prescription painkillers. So, it is possible to unintentionally overuse acetaminophen when using a combination of these products—that it is easy to lose track of how much acetaminophen you’re taking. That is the message from liver disease experts at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Most people can safely take acetaminophen as directed, but an accumulation from combined products or too much in the system at one time or over an extended period risks liver damage, liver failure or even death.