Study: Tylenol Appears Safe Even at Twice Recommended Level

Tylenol, the preferred first-line drug therapy for the pain of osteoarthritis, clears rapidly and completely from the bloodstream even in doses as high as twice the daily recommended level, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Toxicology.

A recent study on the hazards of acetominophen by University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center researchers found that nearly half of all cases of acute liver failure could have been caused by overdose of the drug.

So researchers at McNeil, the maker of Tylenol, undertook a study involving 36 participants to to see if acetaminophen is cleared at the same rate when they increased the dosage beyond the recommended adult maximum of between four grams to eight grams daily.

Researcher Cathy Gelotte, of McNeil, said the they found that doses as high as eight grams daily or twice the maximum daily recommended dose did not accumulate and the drug was consistently cleared from the bloodstream, and liver enzyme values for all subjects stayed within normal limits.

The researchers emphasized that their study was undertaken to learn more about the pharmacokinetic profile of acetaminophen and not to explore the potential for increasing the recommended daily dosage of acetaminophen.

"It is important that consumers continue to adhere to the recommended daily dosage of no more than four grams of acetaminophen per day, as listed on the product label," said Gelotte.

Other sources: D.J. Storch and Associates, University of Texas Southwestern