Taking part in It Secure: Acetaminophen Secure Use and Males’s Well being Month
Creator: Dr. Julius Johnson
I cherished taking part in soccer as a child, and as an grownup I nonetheless get pleasure from spending weekends teaching my neighborhood’s youth soccer staff, the Brooklyn Skyhawks. I additionally get my fair proportion of train by understanding at dwelling and taking part in with my daughter within the park. Generally I overdo it, and find yourself with aching muscle groups and joints after an formidable exercise.
Like many individuals, one of many first treatments I attain for is a chilly pack and an over-the-counter (OTC) ache reliever. It’s what I inform my sufferers to do – and more often than not, it does the trick. But it surely’s vital to know what elements are within the OTC and prescription medicines you are taking, for ache and in any other case, and easy methods to take them safely. The commonest piece of recommendation I give, on and off the sphere, is to not overdo it. OTC medicines can have severe well being penalties if not taken as directed.
Ache Aid and Males’s Well being
The unhappy fact is that males are in quite a lot of ache. In a nationwide survey, 65% of males reported that they expertise ongoing ache, usually for a yr or longer, and lots of of them flip to OTC or prescription medicines for reduction. Throughout Males’s Well being Month, the Acetaminophen Consciousness Coalition is urging males to take cost of their well being and take their medicines safely – particularly if these medicines include acetaminophen.
What Is Acetaminophen?
Most individuals don’t know that acetaminophen is the commonest drug ingredient in America, discovered in additional than 600 over-the-counter and prescription medicines – together with many commonly-used ache relievers, cough, chilly, and allergy medicines, sleep aids, and fever reducers. When used as directed, it’s secure and efficient, however taking an excessive amount of is an overdose and might result in liver injury.
The U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) has set a most day by day dose of 4,000 milligrams (mg) of acetaminophen in a 24-hour interval.
Suggestions for Utilizing Acetaminophen Safely
Observe these 4 steps to make use of acetaminophen safely:
- At all times learn and comply with the dosing directions in your label. By no means take extra medication than directed by the label – that is an overdose, and it will possibly result in liver injury.
- Know in case your medicines include acetaminophen. In case your OTC medication incorporates acetaminophen, will probably be highlighted in yellow on the label. It might typically be listed as “APAP” or “acetam” on prescription drugs.
- Take just one medication with acetaminophen at a time. You’ll be able to take an excessive amount of acetaminophen should you use multiple medication that incorporates acetaminophen on the similar time.
- Ask your healthcare supplier or pharmacist you probably have questions about easy methods to take your medicines safely.
The Endgame
In my twin roles as a household nurse practitioner and a coach, I attempt to information males to make selections that hold them wholesome and secure. Males’s Well being Month is the right time to place these secure use steps into observe, and begin calling the performs by yourself well being.
To be taught extra about acetaminophen secure use, go to KnowYourDose.org and comply with @KnowYourDose on Twitter.
