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The Effects of Tylenol Overdose

Tylenol is an over-the-counter medicine that contains the compound acetaminophen, a common component of drugs for treating fever and chronic pain.
Although Tylenol is sold over the counter, a report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says, "exceeding the maximum recommended dose of acetaminophen, that is four grams per day, can cause serious liver injury and even death." In addition, an overdose of Tylenol affects the calcium balance in cells, which could alter the normal body functions.

  1. Definition

    • Tylenol overdose is a drug toxicity condition resulting from the consumption of excessive amounts of the therapeutic drug, Tylenol.
      Overdose is often a result of deliberate ingestion or accidental ingestion of drugs at an amount higher than the accepted or prescribed value.

    Tylenol Metabolism

    • The metabolic or degradation process of Tylenol produces a toxic compound called N-Acetylbenzoquinoneimine. At normal dosage, the toxic compound is excreted without harm.
      In other words, the body molecules can handle and eliminate the toxic compound that Tylenol produces at normal dosage.

    Liver Toxicity

    • An enzyme called Cytochrome P450 aids in the metabolizing Tylenol. The enzyme is abundant in the liver.
      The liver, according to Eugene C. Toy, M.D. in the book Case Files: Biochemistry, has "the highest concentration of Cytochrome P450, [and] along with the kidney, is the major organ affected or damaged at excessive doses of acetaminophen."

    Calcium Imbalance

    • An overdose of Tylenol may also disrupt the electrolyte balance, particularly, the calcium concentration inside the cells. Since the liver is the primary organ that Tylenol overdose affects, it follows that calcium imbalance happens at the liver cells first.
      The imbalance in hepatocytes may cause alteration of normal cell processes, for instance, delay in liver cell regeneration, or in liver production of the bile that is needed in digestion.

    Clinical Manifestations

    • The common clinical manifestations of a liver toxicity that is caused by Tylenol overdose are nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, alleviated blood enzyme (measured by blood tests) and flu-like conditions.

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