The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is finally asking physicians / Doctors and other healthcare professionals to stop prescribing combination prescription pain relievers that contain more than 325 mg of paracetamol (acetaminophen) per table due to the potential risk for liver damage.
Many prescription analgesics contain both paracetamol and another ingredient (like codeine) and may have up to 750 mg of acetaminophen per dose.
In a statement, the FDA stated, “There are no available data to show that taking more than 325 mg of acetaminophen per dosage unit provides additional benefit that outweighs the added risks for liver injury.”
“Further, limiting the amount of acetaminophen per dosage unit will reduce the risk of severe liver injury from inadvertent acetaminophen overdose, which can lead to liver failure, liver transplant, and death,” they added.
Severe liver injury in patients taking paracetamol have occurred when patients took more than the prescribed dose of an acetaminophen-containing product in a 24-hour period or took more than 1 paracetamol-containing product at the same time; or drank alcohol as well as medicine that contained paracetamol.
