Acetaminophen use linked to lung disease

[The Straight Story]

Acetaminophen use linked to lung disease
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United Press International

Monday, May 2, 2005

NOTTINGHAM, England, May 02, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- British researchers have found increased use of acetaminophen is associated with a greater prevalence of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The investigators found the prevalence of asthma was 6.9 percent and of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 11.8 percent using U.S. data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Survey III.

In addition, 2.8 percent had both respiratory diseases. Of the group, about 4 percent of participants were daily users of acetaminophen as compared with 8.2 percent for aspirin and 2.5 percent for ibuprofen.

The researchers said neither the use of aspirin nor the use of ibuprofen was associated with the prevalence of either asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_24421.html

[sweetheart]

1. This is like "tylenol" and "excedrin"

I've noticed this, as an athsma sufferer, and i don't ever take
that shit. I rather use ibuprofen.

[bucknaked]

2. Wow... if only it could attack your kidneys, Tylonel would have a trifecta

capable of liver damage, now lung disease.

Think I'll simply tough-out my hang-overs.

[Conservativesux]

4. Tylenol should have Black Box warning labels informing consumers...

...about these side-effects as well as the fact that they should NOT combine tylenol with alcohol, ever.

Of course it will never happen, but one can only hope.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Not a new finding, it seems

From 2000:

Daily use of the analgesic paracetamol may be linked to worsening asthma, concludes a study published in Thorax. Asthmatics are currently advised to avoid taking the analgesic aspirin or non-steroidal inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) because these can cause severe reactions.
...
The authors caution that asthmatics should not substitute aspirin or NSAIDS for paracetamol on the basis of these findings, as this could be dangerous. Rather, they advise frequent users of paracetamol to cut down on their intake, if possible. Aspirin should not be given to children, regardless of whether they have asthma, say the authors, because of the risk of Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal condition which usually follows a viral infection.

http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/19224e.htm

(Paracetamol is the British name for acetaminophen).