alex revision
July 1st, 2009, 08:03 AM
Experts advise ban on 2 acetaminophen painkillers
Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:45:32 GMT
http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=99498§ionid=3510210
A US federal drug advisory panel demands the elimination of products that combine acetaminophen and have been found to promote liver damage.
The US Department of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel of outside experts voted 20-17 on Tuesday to urge the agency to put a ban on Percocet and Vicodin -- two of the most popular prescription painkillers in the world.
According to the panel, such painkillers have negative effects on the liver and should be banned while the use of Tylenol should also be reduced.
Any restrictions by the FDA are expected to be considered as measures that may lessen liver damage among individuals and even death in patients who take too much acetaminophen.
Acetaminophen is a used widely as an over-the-counter pain reliever and fever reducer.
The painkiller -- which has been used for five decades and is seen as alternative for aspirin -- has been a leading cause of liver injury for more than a decade, the FDA said.
Acetaminophen relieves pain by elevating the pain threshold, that is, by requiring a greater amount of pain to develop before a person feels it. It reduces fever through its effects on the heat-regulating center of the brain.
Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:45:32 GMT
http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=99498§ionid=3510210
A US federal drug advisory panel demands the elimination of products that combine acetaminophen and have been found to promote liver damage.
The US Department of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel of outside experts voted 20-17 on Tuesday to urge the agency to put a ban on Percocet and Vicodin -- two of the most popular prescription painkillers in the world.
According to the panel, such painkillers have negative effects on the liver and should be banned while the use of Tylenol should also be reduced.
Any restrictions by the FDA are expected to be considered as measures that may lessen liver damage among individuals and even death in patients who take too much acetaminophen.
Acetaminophen is a used widely as an over-the-counter pain reliever and fever reducer.
The painkiller -- which has been used for five decades and is seen as alternative for aspirin -- has been a leading cause of liver injury for more than a decade, the FDA said.
Acetaminophen relieves pain by elevating the pain threshold, that is, by requiring a greater amount of pain to develop before a person feels it. It reduces fever through its effects on the heat-regulating center of the brain.