by Ren Huff

Created on: November 23, 2008

Up until recently Acetaminophen has been thought to be the safest pain relief drug on the market. If taken correctly there were no side effects unless the person was allergic to it. It is well known that an overdose can cause liver damage and consumption of alcohol while taking this medicine increases the risk.

A new risk

There is one risk that most people do not know because physicians and the pharmaceutical company have not made a public statement regarding it. Some physicians are beginning to periodically inform some of their patients but not at an alarming rate like they should.

If used on a regular basis, even at the correct dose, Acetaminophen causes "rebound pains." Rebound pains are your body's way of saying "I have been on this too long. Now I need it." It sounds like an addiction doesn't it? Physicians will not label it as such but, if asked, will advise the patient against prolong use.

What exactly are "rebound pains?"

The reason a person would take Acetaminophen is to relieve pain in the body and/or fever. The majority of users take it for pain relief. The Acetaminophen lowers your body's overall pain threshold so you can have some relief. It does not eliminate the pain, just masks it for a while.

Over time your body becomes accustomed to the medication and begins to rely on it. Then if you miss a dose or discontinue the medication your body begins to stress out and pains that weren't there even before you started the Acetaminophen being to arise.

WordNet defines rebound as "a reaction to a crisis or set back or frustration." When your body gets deprived of a medication that it has depended on it will react and fall into crisis mode. Your natural reaction would be to take more Acetaminophen to relieve the pain; not realizing it's the medication that is causing it.

What does the Tylenol Company have to say about prolonged use?

On their website they provide a list of possible questions a consumer may ask. When asked why a consumer cannot use this medication for more than ten days they said:

"Acetaminophen has been used by millions of people throughout the world for over 4 decades and during that time has established a remarkable record of safety.

We do not recommend use of TYLENOL acetaminophen products beyond the time period listed on the package label without the advice of a physician.

This warning appears on packages of ALL over-the-counter pain relievers for a consumer who is not under a physician's care for pain/fever. If you have pain/fever beyond 10/3

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