How Much Tylenol is Too Much for My Child?

Tylenol or acetaminophen is in a class of drugs called pain and fever reducers. It is not an NSAID (Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drug) which includes Advil, Motrin ibuprophen to mention a few. Tylenol or acetaminophen is in so many over the counter products along with many narcotic pain medications that the risk of over dosage, of taking or of giving the incorrect dose has become a big concern. There have been over dosages especially in children of Tylenol. Sometimes this happens when there are babies, toddlers and young schoolchildren in the same house. It can become quite expensive as well as confusing. There are thirteen different kinds of Tylenol on the grocery and drug store shelves and this only includes the ones that are over the counter! Tablets, caplets, gel capsules, suppository, chewable tablets, liquid and extended release. How much do you give to which child or for that matter, to yourself?

Although the manufacturers of the product include the paper form inside every product, the language is difficult and the print is extremely small. The majority of people use the side of the box as to how much to give and rarely read beyond the initial dosing instructions. The safest maximum amount for an ADULT is 4000 milligrams of acetaminophen during a 24-hour period. For children it should be based on their weight and then it should be told in dropper or the cap of the bottle how many millimeters or drops to give. The FDA and CDER are researching the efficacy of this but there have not been any changes noted at this time. This is one of the things that FDA and CDER (Center for Drug Evaluation and Research) are attempting to correct. The Obama Administration in June of 2011 proposed that the amount of milligrams per tablet, capsule, liquid and all other forms be reduced in an attempt to stop the accidental overdosing that has been occurring.

However, it is education and publication of the consequences that can occur with an overdose that will assist in the reduction of overdosing. Most of the over the counter cough and cold medications have been removed from the outer shelves and kept behind the pharmacist counter, however, it is when it taken home and a parent uses the product for the baby, with just the amount cut in half that the problem can begin. One problem that may go undetected until much later is that some products contain aspartame, a non-sugar sweetener thought to e the cause of hyperactivity in young children. The worst thing that could occur however with any acetaminophen overdosage is liver damage and or death. Couple the large amount of acetaminophen with the cough and cold suppressant, which decreases respirations and causes severe sleepiness and a tragedy could result.

The safest thing in any case is to treat every individual as exactly that, an individual and read the instructions on the over the counter acetaminophen carefully. One suggestion is to use a white board or just a sheet of paper, write the name of each child and below that write the amount recommended and below that write the date and time every time you give a dose to that child. Make columns, keep separate pages or whiteboards, do whatever it takes to keep your children safe from harm; Just as you are doing every day, the safety and health of your children is paramount.

barbara bethard