Enjoying It Secure: Acetaminophen Secure Use and Males’s Well being Month
Writer: Dr. Julius Johnson
I liked taking part in soccer as a child, and as an grownup I nonetheless get pleasure from spending weekends teaching my neighborhood’s youth soccer crew, the Brooklyn Skyhawks. I additionally get my fair proportion of train by figuring out at residence and taking part in with my daughter within the park. Generally I overdo it, and find yourself with aching muscle mass and joints after an bold 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 the way to take them safely. The most typical piece of recommendation I give, on and off the sector, is to not overdo it. OTC medicines can have critical well being penalties if not taken as directed.
Ache Aid and Males’s Well being
The unhappy fact is that males are in loads of ache. In a nationwide survey, 65% of males reported that they expertise ongoing ache, typically for a yr or longer, and plenty of of them flip to OTC or prescription medicines for aid. 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 most typical 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 protected and efficient, however taking an excessive amount of is an overdose and might result in liver harm.
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
Comply with these 4 steps to make use of acetaminophen safely:
- All the time learn and comply with the dosing directions in your label. By no means take extra drugs than directed by the label – that is an overdose, and it may result in liver harm.
- Know in case your medicines include acetaminophen. In case your OTC drugs incorporates acetaminophen, will probably be highlighted in yellow on the label. It could generally be listed as “APAP” or “acetam” on prescription drugs.
- Take just one drugs with acetaminophen at a time. You’ll be able to take an excessive amount of acetaminophen should you use multiple drugs that incorporates acetaminophen on the similar time.
- Ask your healthcare supplier or pharmacist in case you have questions about the way 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 choices that hold them wholesome and protected. Males’s Well being Month is the right time to place these protected use steps into follow, and begin calling the performs by yourself well being.
To study extra about acetaminophen protected use, go to KnowYourDose.org and comply with @KnowYourDose on Twitter.
