Any overdose can be frightening, and unfortunately, they can happen all too easily. An acetaminophen overdose is no exception.
In fact, acetaminophen overdose is one of the most common universal poisonings. Each year, acetaminophen overdose causes an estimated 458 deaths. (1) But with acetaminophen natural alternatives, overdose is completely avoidable.
When faced with pain, many people reach for a pill bottle when they should perhaps try one of the acetaminophen natural alternatives.
Further, when pain worsens or persists, those same people might take more than the recommended dose.
However, by choosing one of the acetaminophen natural alternatives, you can prevent a potentially life-threatening situation. The signs and symptoms of acetaminophen overdose mimic common illnesses.
However, a diagnosis may go undetected for several hours. As with many medical issues, prevention is the best method.
To prevent an acetaminophen overdose, there are a number of natural muscle relaxers you can choose.
By choosing a natural alternative to acetaminophen, you not only remove the risk of overdosing. You also prevent yourself from experiencing the negative side effects of acetaminophen.
These can include nausea, stomach pain, loss of appetite, and itching. Further, acetaminophen causes an allergic reaction in some people that can include a rash outbreak, itching and swelling of the tongue/throat or even severe dizziness.
Thankfully, natural alternatives to acetaminophen can be just as effective at relieving pain without these potentially life-threatening effects.
What medications contain acetaminophen?
There are many popular over-the-counter brands that contain this chemical. They include: (2)- DayQuil
- NyQuil
- Excedrin
- Midol
- Robitussin
- Theraflu
- Vicks
- Benadryl
- Sudafed
- Headache & Pain Relief
- Sinus Pain Relief
- Children & Infants
- Arthritis Pain
- Extra Strength
What constitutes an acetaminophen overdose?
Any of the medications above will list the maximum allowed amount on the label. However, as a general guideline, no human being should be taking more than 4 grams of acetaminophen within a day. One tablet of Tylenol contains 500 mg of acetaminophen, placing you in overdose territory if you take more than eight tablets a day.How does an acetaminophen overdose happen?
In addition to everyone's worst nightmare – a child opening a bottle of pills containing acetaminophen and ingesting them – an acetaminophen overdose can happen in a number of ways. As mentioned earlier, many people take more than what's recommended on the label out of frustration after the proper dose does not relieve their symptoms. However, the problem with this is simple. At recommended doses, while acetaminophen may still cause side effects, your liver is powerful enough to process that toxicity and excrete it from your body. However, when you go overboard with medication containing acetaminophen, your liver cannot keep up and thus begins a toxic cycle. As you'll se based on the acetaminophen overdose symptoms in a little bit, this cycle can put you in even more pain than you were dealing with in the first place. Additionally, many people overdose on acetaminophen in an attempt to commit suicide or cry out for help because of psychiatric disorders. In fact, most people who overdose on acetaminophen do so with this intention and will take a large dose in one sitting. Now, a large amount of acetaminophen will kill you. But it will be incredibly painful – so much so that you'll have some serious regrets once the effects begin kicking in. Those who do survive acetaminophen suicide attempts can end up with permanent body damage that makes their life before the overdose seem rosy by comparison. Instead, consider reaching out to one of the many helplines available. Further, give one of these natural depression remedies a try. Regardless of how an acetaminophen overdose occurs, knowing the signs is key. It could just save your life – or someone else's.Acetaminophen overdose symptoms include the following: (3)
- Upset stomach
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Appetite loss
- Sweating
- Yellowing eyes/skin
- Extreme tiredness
- Dark urine
- Convulsions
- Irritability
- Coma
- Jaundice