FDA panel recommends lowering maximum painkiller doses

(NEWSCHANNEL 3) - They can be found in medicine cabinets across the country; pain relievers like Tylenol, Excedrin, and many other acetaminophen products.

On Tuesday, an FDA advisory committee considered whether the dosage of acetaminophen should be lowered to reduce the cases of liver damage. Many doctors say people only run into trouble by going well over the recommended dosage.

The FDA committee is recommending reducing the maximum dosage of medications like Tylenol, but it rejected the idea that cold medicines containing acetaminophen should be pulled from store shelves.

Peter Morton rides seven miles almost everyday. If his bad hip gives him a problem, he says acetaminophen doesn't help.

"It does nothing for me, might as well have a glass of water," said Morton.

Morton's wife, on the other hand, does take the pain reliever, as recommended.

"She has a lot of pain, she's got to take something," said Morton.

Borgess ER doctor, Bill Clegg, says for most people Tylenol is indeed a better alternative than ibuprofen or aspirin, which can cause GI bleeding.

"It's an unbelievably safe medicine, it's been around for 50 plus years," said Dr. Clegg.

Still, the FDA committee says people can run into liver problems if they combine medicines like Tylenol and many popular cold and cough medicines.

Many of those medicines contain acetaminophen, but users don't realize it.

"With small print, you have to understand," said Dr. Clegg. "A great resource is your pharmacist, ask how much acetaminophen is in each dose."

Dr. Clegg says users would have to take well over the recommended dosage to have the negative side effects, mostly people intentionally overdosing.

Still, government experts are recommending that the current maximum single dose of Extra Strength Tylenol be reduced from 1,000 milligrams to 680 milligrams.

Peter Morton wants to hear what doctors eventually agree upon.

"The general public should know, but be accurate," said Morton. "You gotta take a lot of this stuff, but there are people that take a lot of everything."

When it comes to the dosage changes, the FDA does not have to follow the panel's suggestion, but typically it does.

A final decision will be made at a later date.