Tylenol and safety

According to an article in the April 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times, Tylenol and its clones (acetaminophen) now accounts for 42% of the nation's cases of sudden acute liver failure. As reported in the December 2005 issue of Hepatology, 253 Americans overdosed on the painkiller by either taking over the recommended dosage, or due to an interaction with other medications.
While half of these were suicide attempts, the other half were accidental.
Britain stopped selling Tylenol in packages of 500, the largest package is a blister card of 24. This change has reduced the number of liver transplants, overdoses, and liver related deaths by 30%.

The FDA strikes again

Why do so many people consider FDA approval so important? Once again, it has been proven that they are a bogus organization, little more than a trade organization for pharmceutical companies.According to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine (and reported in the Star Ledger 1-26-06) aprotinin, a drug widely used to control bleeding during heart surgery, is dangerous. It increases heart attacks 48%, heart failure by 109% and stroke by 181%. The study also concluded that increased side effects from this drug costs $1 billion per year world-wide. Surprisingly, Bayer, the manufacturer of aprotinin under the name Trasylol, has disputed the findings of the independent study. By the way, generic substitutions are available at 10% of the cost that work as well at stopping bleeding without the risks. The FDA is looking into the study.