The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning against a rare skin disease that may arise out of the use of possibly one of the most widely-accepted medicines in the United States - acetaminophen.
FDA has recently added the Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis and Stevens-Johnson Syndrome to the list of possible side effects of acetaminophen. Such diseases are characterized by serious rash, skin blisters and sloughing off of the top layer of the skin.
While the skin disease may be rare, it is however considered as deadly.
According to the data collected by the FDA in a span of 40 years, there were about 107 cases that are related to such an effect. Sixty seven hospitalizations resulted and twelve deaths were recorded.
Considering that millions of people take painkillers like Tylenol and other over-the-counter prescriptions, where acetaminophen is one of the active ingredients, such a side effect is still considered as rare.
Similar warnings have been added in 2005 to Advil, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, where a woman was found to suffer an almost fatal reaction to its component sulindac.
In a statement given by Dr. Sharon Hertz, FDA’s deputy director of the Anesthesia, Analgesia and Addiction Division, in an article published in fda.gov, she said that, “This new information is not intended to worry consumers or health care professionals, nor is it meant to encourage them to choose other medications. However, it is extremely important that people recognize and react quickly to the initial symptoms of these rare but serious, side effects, which are potentially fatal.”
This new warning issued by FDA denotes a reassessment of safety practices when it comes to taking drugs no matter how common they may be. Doctors advise consumers to read labels and to remember that the maximum daily dosage for acetaminophen is 3000mg per day. Those taking such medication must add the dosages to prevent an overdose and minimize the risk of suffering from deadly skin reactions.
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