Tylenol

Acetaminophen, Key Ingredient of Tylenol, May Affect Heart Function

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New research in mice finds acetaminophen may disrupt heart pathways linked to energy, antioxidants, and protein breakdown.

Acetaminophen, Key Ingredient of Tylenol, May Affect Heart Function: Study

That daily backache medication you’ve been popping may be doing more harm than good.

A new study suggests that one of the world’s go-to pain pills, acetaminophen, can trigger unhealthy changes in heart tissue—even at standard adult dosages long considered perfectly safe. Acetaminophen is the active ingredient in Tylenol and many other pain killers.

The findings add to growing concerns over the medication’s wide range of potential side effects.

Acetaminophen Disrupts Crucial Heart Processes

Even moderate doses of acetaminophen are associated with potential risks over time, according to a new study that was presented at the American Physiology Summit in Long Beach, California.

Using mice as subjects, researchers administered water containing an acetaminophen dosage equivalent to 500 milligrams per day in adult humans. After seven days, significant changes were observed in the levels of proteins associated with various biochemical pathways crucial for heart function, including energy production, antioxidant usage, and the breakdown of damaged proteins.

The results suggest that even at concentrations typically considered safe for human use, acetaminophen can disrupt numerous signaling pathways within the heart.

“We expected two to three pathways to be altered, but we found over 20 different signaling pathways being affected,” Gabriela Rivera, a doctoral student at the University of California–Davis and the study’s lead author, said in a press release.

Immunologist and Biochemist Speaks out About Dangers of Acetaminophen for Children

Acetaminophen had been previously thought to carry a low risk of harmful side effects even when used as directed. This study helps with understanding its effects, which already include a risk of gastrointestinal problems, increased blood pressure, and liver toxicity (when used in large doses).

Prolonged High-Dose Use May Tax Body’s Detox Systems

The findings suggest that prolonged medium- to high-dose usage of acetaminophen could lead to heart issues due to oxidative stress or the accumulation of toxins produced during the breakdown of the medication, potentially overwhelming the body’s detoxification mechanisms.

The observed changes suggest that the hearts of mice treated with acetaminophen had increased stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, Ms. Rivera told The Epoch Times.

The findings highlight the importance of dosage and duration of use; long-term use at medium to high doses may pose greater risks than occasional or low-dose consumption.

The study used a “global proteomic approach,” which enabled the research team to observe the alterations in proteins inside the heart impartially, Ms. Rivera said. “Studies were also conducted on cardiac cells, which complement the proteomic studies,” she added.

A limitation of this experiment is that it was conducted in female mice only, so findings may not apply to the effects of regular acetaminophen usage in male mice or humans.

Acetaminophen Currently Considered Safe: Expert

Acetaminophen is a commonly used drug considered safe at low to moderate dosages of 660 to 1,000 milligrams every four to six hours.

There are no known cardiovascular risks associated with acetaminophen use based on current evidence, Dr. Samantha Lee, director of cardiac telemetry at Staten Island University Hospital, told The Epoch Times.

“A healthy adult can take a lot more acetaminophen than you might expect—up to 4,000 milligrams per day,” she said, though cautioning that an overdose can lead to liver injury.

Daily acetaminophen use could cause rebound headaches, known as medication overuse headaches, treatable by stopping the pain reliever, Dr. Lee noted.

When recommending pain relief for headaches and joint pains, Dr. Lee said she prefers acetaminophen over nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and naproxen, which increase clot formation, blood pressure, and fluid retention, worsening cardiovascular outcomes.

“While this study shows acetaminophen may affect the signaling pathways in the heart of mice models, it does not prove any harmful cardiac side effects in humans,” Dr. Lee said, adding that, like arthritis, cardiac conditions are more common with age, so doctors need pain relief recommendations. “For me, that recommendation is still acetaminophen,” she said.

Painkiller or Soul-Killer? The Troubling Connection Between Tylenol and Decreased Empathy

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Popping a Tylenol for physical pain has become second nature for many – but groundbreaking research suggests this common painkiller may also be numbing our emotional capacity for caring, with potentially profound social consequences.

For many, reaching for a Tylenol to relieve a headache or sore muscles has become almost automatic. But groundbreaking research suggests that while this popular over-the-counter drug may effectively dull physical pain, it could also be numbing users’ ability to empathize with others on an emotional level – a side effect with deeply troubling societal implications.

A study published last month in Frontiers of Psychology adds to the growing body of evidence that acetaminophen (the generic name for Tylenol) reduces empathy for others’ suffering.1 Researchers at Ohio State University conducted a double-blind, randomized trial in which 114 college students received either 1,000 milligrams of acetaminophen or a placebo. One hour later, participants read scenarios depicting the experiences of various protagonists.

The results were striking: those who had taken acetaminophen reported significantly lower empathic concern and personal distress in response to the characters’ misfortunes compared to the placebo group.1 Notably, even positive empathy was dampened, with the acetaminophen users experiencing less vicarious joy for the protagonists’ uplifting experiences.1 As the authors note, these muted emotional reactions raise concern given the role of empathy in fostering compassion, connection, and prosocial behavior.1

This was not the first study to highlight acetaminophen’s psychosocial side effects. A seminal 2016 paper by some of the same Ohio State researchers first revealed that a typical dose of the drug blunted participants’ empathy for others’ pain, as measured by brain activity and subjective ratings.2 The authors sounded an early alarm:

“Because empathy regulates prosocial and antisocial behavior, these drug-induced reductions in empathy raise concerns about the broader social side effects of acetaminophen, which is taken by almost a quarter of adults in the United States each week.”2

Since then, evidence of acetaminophen’s psychological risks has only mounted. A 2019 study by the Ohio State team showed that the drug inhibited users’ ability to share in others’ positive experiences, suggesting effects on empathy beyond reactions to physical pain alone.3 Once again, the researchers warned about potential consequences, as “taking pleasure from the good fortune of others fosters interpersonal connection, trust, and – ultimately – prosocial behavior.”3

Other unsettling behavioral changes have also surfaced. Just last year, Baldwin Way, an Ohio State psychology professor who co-authored the empathy studies, published findings that acetaminophen made participants more willing to take risks.4 Compared to a placebo group, those given 1,000mg of the drug not only rated hypothetical activities like skydiving and unsafe sex as less risky, but also took more risks in a computerized task to earn rewards.4

Coupled with the empathy deficits, these disinhibiting effects paint a worrisome picture. As Way commented, considering that a quarter of American adults take acetaminophen each week, “even slight changes in risk-taking behavior could have important effects on society.”4 Other research has linked greater risk-taking on this type of simulated task with increased likelihood of real-world risky behaviors like stealing, substance use, and reckless driving.5

So how exactly does acetaminophen exert these effects on the mind? The answer likely lies in the brain regions it targets. Neuroimaging studies show that the drug reduces activity in areas like the anterior insula and anterior cingulate cortex,6,7 which are involved in processing both physical and social pain, as well as positive empathy.1 By tamping down these key emotional centers, acetaminophen may provide physical relief at the cost of emotional blunting.

The picture that emerges is one of a medication that, while highly effective at treating aches and pains, may also numb the emotional capacities that make us fully human. As the Ohio State researchers argue, acetaminophen’s “broader psychological effects…may have profound social implications that are only now beginning to be understood.”1

These discoveries underscore the importance of holistic approaches to pain management that address root causes rather than simply masking symptoms. They also highlight the risks of viewing any drug, even familiar over-the-counter remedies, as completely benign. With acetaminophen in particular, the ease of access and assumption of safety8 belie the major questions that remain about long-term psychological impacts, especially at a societal level.

As more and more evidence links this common painkiller to deficits in quintessentially human traits like empathy, it serves as a clarion call to reevaluate the full spectrum of effects – both intended and unintended – of one of the most widely consumed drugs on the planet. The health of our bodies and our social fabric may very well depend on it.

Taking acetaminophen (Tylenol) while pregnant linked to ADHD symptoms in preschoolers

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 It’s no secret that pregnant women should avoid alcohol and cigarettes for the health of their baby. Some pregnancy symptoms such as back pain or headaches may make mothers want to take a Tylenol. Now, researchers from Penn State say it may be a good idea to stay away from Tylenol as well. Study authors report taking acetaminophen while expecting may lead to sleep and behavioral issues in children that are consistent with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Sold under a number of different names, acetaminophen is generally a mild drug which treats pain, fever, headaches, infections, colds, or allergies. Historically, doctors have considered the drug safe to take while pregnant for quite some time. Recent research, however, is starting to suggest that acetaminophen may affect child development and may have a connection to attention problems.

This latest research project appears to support those earlier preliminary findings. Study authors say their work is the first ever to observe a clear association between acetaminophen use while pregnant and subsequent child sleep challenges.

“Pregnant people experience pain, fever and other ailments that could be alleviated through the use of acetaminophen,” says lead study author Kristin Sznajder, an assistant professor of public health sciences, in a university release. “While the medication may provide relief in the moment, research increasingly indicates there may be downstream effects that could be detrimental to child development. More research is needed so appropriate recommendations can be made to pregnant people.”

4 in 10 pregnant women use mild pain relievers

The researcher team utilized data originally collected for a study of over 2,400 pregnant women who had never given birth. That prior study tracked those women and their children from the third trimester of pregnancy to three years postpartum. Participants completed surveys while pregnant regarding their medication use and frequency and stress levels. In all, 41.7 percent of women reported using acetaminophen during pregnancy.

Next, researchers interviewed the mothers multiple times after giving birth — one, six, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months after their child was born. During the last interview, participants had to rate their child using a three-point scale describing how often they exhibit various neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes (very often true, somewhat or sometimes true, or not true). Examples include “can’t sit still or restless,” “avoids looking others in the eyes,” and “doesn’t want to sleep alone.” Scientists then combined the scores for each behavior to help determine if each child scored high in categories such as emotionally reactive, anxious or depressed, withdrawn, sleep problems, and aggressive behavior.

Using responses from the 99-item Child Behavior Checklist, the research team then evaluated if children born to mothers who used acetaminophen during pregnancy were more likely to have attention, sleep, or other neurobehavioral issues. Since women who used acetaminophen while pregnant were more likely to deal with depression or anxiety before becoming pregnant and were also more likely to report high levels of stress during pregnancy, researchers decided to account for stress, depression during pregnancy, and previous diagnoses of depression or anxiety during their statistical analyses.

Even after accounting for those confounding variables, children born to women who used acetaminophen were still significantly more likely to deal with sleep issues and attention problems than other children. More specifically, 22.7 percent of participants who used acetaminophen while pregnant said their child had sleep issues. Another 32.9 percent described their children as having attention problems. Conversely, among women who did not take acetaminophen while pregnant, only 18.9 percent said their child had trouble sleeping and 28 percent noticed attention problems.

Could pregnancy trimester be a factor?

Study authors say more research is necessary to totally understand the relationship between acetaminophen use while pregnant and behavioral outcomes among offspring. For instance, survey responses used for this project lacked data on the trimester of use, frequency of use, and dosage amount. Prof. Sznajder notes another study is already underway focusing on how the trimester, frequency, and dosage may influence behavioral offspring outcomes.

Right now, the research team can’t say what prenatal development processes prenatal acetaminophen use may be disrupting. However, a few possibilities include acetaminophen damaging the placenta, consequently disrupting fetal development, or acetaminophen damaging fetal liver cells, disrupting gut health, and influencing neurodevelopment.

“We should interpret these results with some degree of caution,” Prof. Sznajder concludes. “Although acetaminophen is generally considered safe for use during pregnancy, data from multiple studies suggest that there could be effects on childhood development by its use. It’s important we learn as much as we can about this subject so we can give expecting mothers data-driven recommendations to care for their children and themselves.”

Taking acetaminophen (Tylenol) while pregnant linked to language delays in children

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 Pregnant women should think twice before taking Tylenol, a new study warns. Researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign find that using acetaminophen, a common over-the-counter pain reliever and fever reducer, during pregnancy could possibly lead to language development delays in early childhood.

Acetaminophen, better known by the brand name Tylenol, is widely regarded as the safest pain relief option during pregnancy. Between 50 and 65 percent of women in North America and Europe use the drug.

The study builds upon previous research that associated acetaminophen use during pregnancy with poorer child communication skills. However, this new study employed more precise methods of measuring language development.

Pregnant woman showing her bump

“The previous studies had only asked pregnant people at most once a trimester about their acetaminophen use,” says study author Megan Woodbury, who conducted the research as a graduate student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, in a university release. “But with IKIDS, we talked to our participants every four to six weeks during pregnancy and then within 24 hours of the kid’s birth, so we had six time points during pregnancy.”

Researchers engaged with participants regularly throughout their pregnancy and shortly after birth, providing a detailed timeline of acetaminophen use. They focused on language development in children at ages two and three, utilizing the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories for assessing vocabulary, language complexity, and the length of children’s utterances.

Common OTC painkillers and pain medicine

The study found that increased acetaminophen use, particularly during the third trimester, correlated with lower vocabulary scores and shorter average utterance lengths in two-year-olds. At age three, greater use during the third trimester was linked to parents perceiving their children’s language abilities as lower than their peers, especially in male children. One notable result was that each instance of acetaminophen use in the third trimester was associated with an almost two-word reduction in vocabulary in two-year-olds.

“This suggests that if a pregnant person took acetaminophen 13 times – or once per week – during the third trimester of that pregnancy, their child might express 26 fewer words at age 2 than other children that age,” notes Woodbury, now a postdoctoral researcher at Northeastern University in Boston.

Researchers stress the importance of this period for fetal brain development, noting the critical development of hearing in the second trimester and the initiation of language development in the third trimester.

“It’s thought that acetaminophen exerts its analgesic effect through the endocannabinoid system, which is also very important for fetal development,” explains Woodbury.

A mother holding a crying toddler
A mother holding a crying toddler

Despite these findings, researchers caution against outright avoidance of acetaminophen during pregnancy, especially when needed for serious pain or high fever, as conditions like very high fever can be dangerous.

“There aren’t other options for people to take when they really need them,” says Susan Schantz, professor emerita of comparative biosciences at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and IKIDS principal investigator. “But perhaps people should use more caution when turning to the drug to treat minor aches and pains.”

Surprising Side Effects of Tylenol

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Extra Strength Tylenol is displayed in a drugstore in Washington, on July 5, 2006. (Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)

Extra Strength Tylenol is displayed in a drugstore in Washington, on July 5, 2006.

You know Tylenol can relieve a headache, but are you aware it can cause other side effects, such as increased risk of death or heart toxicity?

Have you ever popped a Tylenol to push through that annoying headache and get on with your day? Most of us have. Each week, millions of Americans take one of the 600 medicines that contain acetaminophen, Tylenol’s active ingredient, for various aches and pains. Acetaminophen is the most common drug ingredient in the US, but this ‘harmless drug’ is linked to over 110,000 injuries and deaths per year.

How can Tylenol, which is doled out like candy, be bad for you? Amazingly, no one really knows how acetaminophen works, but people do know that this drug gets to your brain. Tylenol in your brain is concerning because it depletes glutathione, an antioxidant that is especially necessary for brain health. Our bodies depend on antioxidants to balance oxidative damage and inflammation. If you’re popping a Tylenol with your morning antioxidant-rich smoothie, Tylenol may rob you of the smoothie’s benefits!

(Niloo/Shutterstock)

Beyond Liver Damage

Most people have heard that Tylenol can damage the liver (has anyone ever drunkenly warned you to take a Motrin, not a Tylenol, to prevent a hangover?). But since everything in our bodies is connected, it’s not surprising that Tylenol can do damage beyond your liver. A recent study showed that people who took Tylenol had increased risks of death, heart toxicity, gastrointestinal bleeding, and kidney damage. Importantly, people who took more Tylenol suffered more damage.

It’s also scary how Tylenol affects mood. After swallowing 1000 mg of Tylenol, people exhibited less empathy and blunted positive emotions. For reference, 1000 mg is two extra-strength Tylenol tablets, and the ‘safe’ range is 3000 mg per day. This means that popping two Tylenols can affect you physically and emotionally!

If you’re pregnant or looking to become pregnant, please be especially careful about taking Tylenol. Research has shown that children exposed to acetaminophen in the womb had behavioral, communication, and motor skill problems. Another study linked prenatal acetaminophen exposure with increased ADHD-like behaviors and medication use.

What About Other Painkillers?

Hopefully you’re convinced to think twice before taking a Tylenol, but what about other pain-relievers like Motrin, Aleve, or Advil? These non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) must be safe, since thirty million people take them every day! Not so fast…

Women who recognize the importance of hormonal balance should be wary. NSAIDs can mess with ovulation, especially progesterone levels, after only 10 days of use. Additionally, NSAIDs injure the small intestine; in one study, 71% of NSAID users showed small intestinal damage, compared to 10% of non-users [5]. Damaged intestines can lead to intestinal permeability, or “leaky gut.” Leaky gut has been linked to depression, ADHD, and allergies.  NSAIDs can cause leaky gut and harm your microbiome, the trillions of beneficial bacteria that live in and on us. Disrupting our bacteria can do more damage than we realize!

How Can I Relieve My Headache?!

Now that you know the surprising dangers of Tylenol and other NSAIDs, what should you take for headaches and other aches and pains? Turmeric, the yellow root found in curry powder, contains a powerful anti-inflammatory and pain reliever called curcumin. This has been used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine as a treatment for pain, digestive disorders, and wound healing for centuries. Many studies show the beneficial effects of curcumin; curcumin works as well as ibuprofen to alleviate pain from knee osteoarthritis and PMS. Next time you have a headache, try 1-2 grams of curcumin – or a turmeric latte!

CONSUMER ALERT: The Deadly Reason Tylenol Should Be Removed from the Market

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Tylenol, a trademarked form of the chemical known as acetaminophen or paracetamol, is one of the most commonly used painkillers in the United States today, yet is also one of the most dangerous. For instance, nearly 500 die and 30,000 are hospitalized each year in the US as a result of its well established, yet seldomly discussed toxic effects.

Marketed by Johnson & Johnson primarily for pain and fever relief (including to highly vulnerable populations such as infants and children), few consumers are aware of the true extent of the risks it carries, as well as what safer, natural alternatives may exist, as documented by a growing body of biomedical and clinical literature. 

For instance, a 2017 article published in Journal of Hepatology titled, “Public Health: Acetaminophen (APAP) Hepatotoxicity–Isn’t It Time for APAP to Go Away?,” summarizes the alarming nature of Tylenol’s toxicity problem as follows: 

“Acetaminophen (APAP) is the most commonly used drug for the treatment of pain and fever around the world. At the same time, APAP is capable of causing dose-related hepatocellular necrosis, responsible for nearly 500 deaths annually in the U.S. alone, as well as 100,000 calls to US Poison Control Centers, 50,000 emergency room visits and 10,000 hospitalizations per year. As an over-the-counter and prescription product (with opioids), APAP toxicity dwarfs all other prescription drugs as a cause for acute liver failure in the United States and Europe, but is not regulated in any significant way.”

The article points out that acetaminophen (APAP) is a “dose related toxin,” and that so-called APAP toxicity is the cause of 46% of all acute liver failure in the United States, and between 40-70% of all cases in Great Britain and Europe. Taken together, this exceeds the number of deaths related to acute liver failure (ALF) resulting from all prescription drugs combined, as you can see by the following graph. 

According to the review, acetaminophen is a multi-billion dollar product, yet despite having the reputation of being extremely safe, and having little regulatory oversight of the FDA because it is an over-the-counter drug, it is “deadly.” 

Recognition of this fact began a half century ago, as the drug became associated with suicide attempts, many of which were successful. A Lancet editorial from 1975 opined: “Surely the time has come to replace paracetamol [a synonym for acetaminophen] with an effective analogue which cannot cause liver damage.”1

In 2016, a class action lawsuit with over 100 plaintiffs involving claims that Tylenol caused liver damage and death was settled by McNeil (an over-the-counter arm of Johnson and Johnson). As a result of the lawsuit, it was revealed that the FDA and McNeil/Johnson & Johnson delayed implementing suggestions to improve safety of acetaminophen despite its well known harms.2 

Should Tylenol Be Classified As A Neurotoxic Chemical with Psychiatric Effects? 

While Tylenol’s liver-damaging effects are those most commonly recognized harmful effects by the medical community, few still seem to be aware of the accumulating research showing that Tylenol use has serious neurological and psychiatric impacts, including contributing to autism spectrum disorder, risk-taking behavior, attention deficit disorder and the blunting of emotional responses, including reducing human empathy (e.g. flat affect). 

We have documented all these possible consequences in depth in previous articles, which you can investigate further in the links below: 

What should be highlighted is that in the risk-taking and empathy reduction studies, a single 1,000 mg dose produced these adverse neurobiological and psychiatric effects. This is extremely concerning and likely indicates how extremely toxic this chemical class is; especially since Tylenol’s pain- and emotion-blunting effects may actually reduce the taker’s awareness of its harmful effects. 

What Evidence-Based Natural Alternatives Exist to Prevent Tylenol Toxicity, or Might Replace it Completely? 

There are a number of substances that have been studied to prevent or mitigate the adverse effects of Tylenol toxicity. In fact, the research community has investigated over 125 natural substances which may accomplish this, examples of which you can view on our Tylenol Toxicity database here.

On Greenmedinfo.com we have also gathered a number of studies on natural substances that have been researched by the scientific community as possible alternatives to painkillers such as Tylenol. The following three natural substances have been studied in comparison with Tylenol, and have been found to compare favorably. 

There are a far wider range of studies available on natural, evidence based alternatives to drugs like ibuprofen, another highly toxic (specifically, heart-damaging) drug, six of which an be read here: 6 Natural Ibuprofen Alternatives Backed by Clinical Research.

Aspirin, which has also recently fallen from grace as no longer recommended for the primary prevention of heart attack, has been studied alongside a pine bark extract which appears superior in a number of ways. You can learn more about this possible aspirin alterantive by reading: The Powerful Aspirin Alternative Your Doctor Never Told You About

Beyond Popping Pills, Chemical or Otherwise

No matter what health complaints you may have, my primary advocacy is focused on the root-cause resolution of health problems. In 9 out of 10 cases, dietary modification and lifestyle changes like more exercise and a positive mind set, will go much farther in improving one’s well-being, happiness, and overall health metrics than popping a hand full of vitamins, or betting on magic bullets, regardless of whether they are “nutraceutical” or pharmaceutical. 

If you have pain, your body is sending you a clear message that things needs to change. The symptom is not an enemy, unless you treat it that way, and ultimately we all are on our own individual health journeys and need to discover the true causes – some physical, some emotional, and some spiritual – of what ails us. 

In School Nurse’s Room: Tylenol, Bandages and an Antidote to Heroin

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A naloxone kit at Washingtonville High School in Orange County, N.Y. 

At every school in New Rochelle, just north of the Bronx, in Westchester, there is a locked medicine cabinet in the nurse’s office, stocked with things like EpiPens for allergic reactions, inhalers for asthma, Tylenol for aches and pains.

Now, those cabinets also include naloxone, an antidote for people who are overdosing on opioids like heroin. Given as an injection or a nasal spray, naloxone can quickly revive someone who is not breathing. The city keeps it in every nurse’s office, including in its elementary schools.

“We have it the same way we have defibrillators and EpiPens, the way we have oxygen in our schools,” said Dr. Adrienne Weiss-Harrison, the school district’s medical director. “Rarely do we pull a defibrillator off the wall, but it’s there if we need it, and that’s how we approach this opportunity to have naloxone.”

There is no comprehensive data on how often students overdose while at school, but it happens. Renee Rider, assistant commissioner at the New York State Education Department, said the department has heard anecdotally of two schools where a student overdosed and was saved by E.M.S. workers using naloxone

But the numbers of young people dying from overdoses around the country is striking. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2015, opioids killed 7,163 people between the ages of 15 and 29, more than 20 percent of total deaths.

And as communities across the country face this swell of death from heroin and pills, schools see the epidemic lapping at their doorsteps — killing friends, neighbors, recent graduates. Educators are increasingly deciding that they should have naloxone on hand.

New Jersey Assemblyman Vincent Mazzeo, a Democrat, in the fall sponsored a bill in the state legislature that would require all high schools to stock naloxone. In talking to parents and students in his district, Mr. Mazzeo said, “It came out that kids were coming into school on opiates, perhaps on heroin.”

Without the antidote, “If a kid comes into school and he overdoses, they don’t have the proper tools. They’d have to wait for E.M.S. first responders to come.”

Now, in Massachusetts and Kentucky, Connecticut and New Mexico, schools have the drug for emergency use. New York State has a program that provides it free to schools, with 64 districts participating so far. In Pennsylvania, nearly 250 public and charter schools have received a free supply. In Rhode Island, every middle school, junior high and high school is required to have naloxone on the premises. And scattered around the country, there are schools and districts that have bought the medication on their own.

“It is absolutely a sad sign of the times,” said Roy Reese, superintendent of Washingtonville Central School District in Orange County, N.Y. “I say this not reluctantly, but sadly: it is only a matter of time.”

Naloxone has been available for more than 40 years, and for much of that time, it was largely found in hospitals. But it has become increasingly common outside of them as the opioid epidemic has spread, and is now often found at the fingertips of law enforcement officers. In recent years, laws have changed to allow schools to keep it on hand and administer it to whoever needs it. In New York, for example, public health law was amended in 2015 to authorize school employees to administer naloxone.

Brian Connolly, principal of Washingtonville High School. The school keeps naloxone in the nurse’s office and with Mr. Connolly’s secretary. 

Through the state’s program, New York schools can now receive two doses of generic intranasal naloxone in a little nylon bag; the kits cost about $66, the State Health Department said, though schools get them for free. The drug is also available under the brand name Narcan, which is a nasal spray, and Evzio, which is an auto-injector like an EpiPen. Evzio is the most expensive, with a list price of $4,100, according to Kaléo, the company that makes it.

New York City schools are not stocking it because, officials said, they “have not seen the need.”

Many schools have chosen to stock Narcan because they can get it for free. A partnership between Narcan’s producer, Adapt Pharma, and the Clinton Foundation, offers any high school in the country two free doses of Narcan. Adapt Pharma covers the cost of the medication, and the Clinton Foundation does outreach to schools and districts. In an indication of the reach of the epidemic, President Clinton said last year that three of his friends had lost children to opioid overdoses.

An Adapt Pharma spokesman said about 1,300 units have been distributed so far to schools in 15 states, including Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Delaware and New Hampshire. After the free supply runs out, schools can buy more for $75 a carton, which contains two doses. The list price for that amount is $125, Adapt said.

“I don’t see this as a big land-grab for market share,” said Daniel Raymond the deputy director of policy and planning at the Harm Reduction Coalition, which provides trainings on health issues related to drug use. “Ultimately, schools are going to be a niche market compared to other purchasers of naloxone.”

Kathleen Neelon, the nursing coordinator for the Wallingford, Conn., schools, said that in recent years, there has been an alarming numbers of overdoses among young adults in the area, so the district decided to stock Narcan for its high schools. They keep it in an emergency kit, which is filled with things like quick-clotting gauze and a blood pressure cuff.

“We instituted it in December, and I hope we never have to use it” Ms. Neelon said. The school sent out a notice to parents about the decision, and there were stories on the local news, she said, but she knew of no pushback from the community. “Most people said, it’s a sad statement, but it’s better to be prepared than not.”

Some observers wonder if the reaction would be different if schools were stocking an antidote to a different drug, like crack cocaine. The crack epidemic was particularly acute among black people, while the opioid epidemic has hit white people especially hard. Much has been written about how race has impacted the nation’s reaction to the opioid epidemic.

“If there was an antidote to crack, the argument would be we should just kick these people out of school, rather than trying to deal with them in the school system,” said Mr. Raymond of the Harm Reduction Coalition. “It would be about getting tough, cracking down, kicking them off of sports teams and expelling them.”

In many school districts, educators say the severity of opioid problem has overwhelmed any concerns they might have about the optics of naloxone.

Mark Marrone, superintendent of Mainland Regional High School in southern New Jersey, said he knows of several Mainland graduates who overdosed and died in their 20s, and one who overdosed and survived after being given naloxone. If the worst happens at his school, he said, he plans to be prepared.

“Some people worry that this says, ‘Oh, there are drugs in the schools,’” Mr. Marrone said. “No, there are drugs everywhere. We want to teach kids the right way to respond.” And maybe, he continued, “you’ll save a life.”

Source:www.nytimes.com

When pregnant women take Tylenol, their children are more likely to be born with autism.

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As many as 65 percent of women are said to take it during pregnancy. But Tylenol, the active ingredient of which is acetaminophen, has been linked in a new study out of Norway to causing autism in children. Expectant mothers who took the drug while pregnant to deal with headaches or mild fevers were found to be significantly more likely to bear children with behavioral problems, poor language and motor skills, and communication difficulties, compared to mothers who did not take the drug.

The study included data on 48,000 Norwegian children whose mothers participated in a survey evaluating their medication use at weeks 17 and 30 of pregnancy, as well as at six months after giving birth. The survey also included a follow-up that looked at the children’s developmental progress at three years of age, which was then compared to the mothers’ drug intake during the later stages of their pregnancies.

What was discovered was that some 4 percent of women took Tylenol for at least 28 days total during their pregnancies. And children born to this subset of mothers tended to have more functional and behavioral problems than children born to mothers who took less or no Tylenol. These same Tylenol-exposed children also tended to begin walking later than non-exposed children and had poorer communication and language skills.

“Our findings suggest that (acetaminophen) might not be as harmless as we think,” stated Ragnhild Eek Brandlistuen, lead author of the study from the University of Oslo in Norway. “Long-term use of (acetaminophen) increased the risk of behavior problems by 70 percent at age three. That is considerable.”

Johnson & Johnson, which owns the Tylenol brand, insists that the drug has an extensive track record of safety and has not been linked to premature birth and miscarriage. But the study, which was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, suggests otherwise in terms of actual childhood development. It even compared Tylenol to other common pain medications, like ibuprofen, which were not found to induce behavioral problems.

“We always recommend that consumers carefully read and follow label instructions when using any over the counter medication,” admitted J&J in a statement. “In addition, our label notes if pregnant or breast-feeding, ask a health professional before use. Consumers who have medical concerns or questions about acetaminophen should contact their health care professional.”

Developmental symptoms associated with Tylenol use categorically constitute autism

Commenting on the study, Ann Z. Bauer, a doctoral candidate at the University of Massachusetts Lowell School of Health and Environment, inferred that pregnant women may want to avoid taking Tylenol and instead switch to an alternative. Her own research also suggests that acetaminophen may trigger these and various other symptoms in children, which categorically speaking can be defined as autism.

“The developmental problems seen in this study align with symptoms of autism spectrum disorder, though the children had not been diagnosed at age three,” writes Kathryn Doyle for Reuters Health.

Other research has also found that acetaminophen depletes the body’s natural reserves of glutathione, the “master” antioxidant responsible for mitigating free radical damage, which in turn protects the body against oxidative damage, inflammation and serious injury to the brain and other vital organs. Because it is incredibly toxic to the liver, Tylenol consumption prompts the body to use large amounts of glutathione to diminish this toxicity, which leaves the body more prone to developing the symptoms commonly attributed to autism.

“Many children with ASD (autism spectrum disorders) have poor transsulfuration and methylation — they can’t make glutathione and even worse, they can’t activate many neurotransmitters in the brain,” writes Dr. Erika Krumbeck, N.D., for Montana Whole Health. “[T]his is why Tylenol could possibly trigger autism in kids who are genetically susceptible.”

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/043087_Tylenol_autism_pregnant_women.html#ixzz4TmNOIf5s

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/043087_Tylenol_autism_pregnant_women.html#ixzz4TmN7cBMS

7 Ways To Prevent and Even Reverse Heart Disease With Nutrition

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7 Ways To Prevent and Even Reverse Heart Disease With Nutrition

You can reverse heart disease with nutrition, according to a growing body of scientific research.

Considering that heart disease is the #1 cause of death in the developed world, anything that can prevent cardiac mortality, or slow or even reverse the cardiovascular disease process, should be of great interest to the general public.

Sadly, millions of folks are unaware of the extensive body of biomedical literature that exists supporting the use of natural compounds for preventing and even reversing heart disease.

Instead, they spend billions buying highly toxic cholesterol-lowering pharmaceuticals with known cardiotoxicity, among 300 other proven side effects, simply because their doctor told them to do so.

So, with this in mind, let’s look at the biomedical literature itself.

Three Natural Substances that Reduce the Risk of Heart-Related Death

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: There is a robust body of research indicating that the risk of sudden cardiac death is reduced when consuming higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Going all the way back to 2002, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study titled,  “Blood levels of long-chain n-3 fatty acids and the risk of sudden death,” which found  “The n-3 fatty acids found in fish are strongly associated with a reduced risk of sudden death among men without evidence of prior cardiovascular disease.” Another 2002 study, published in the journal Circulation, found that Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation reduces total mortality and sudden death in patients who have already had a heart attack.[i] For additional research, view our dataset on the topic of Omega-3 fatty acids and the reduction of cardiac mortality.

It should be noted that the best-selling cholesterol drug class known as statins may actually reduce the effectiveness of omega-3 fats at protecting the heart. This has been offered as an explanation as to why newer research seems to show that consuming omega-3 fats does not lower the risk of cardiac mortality.

Vitamin D: Levels of this essential compound have been found to be directly associated with the risk of dying from all causes. Being in the lowest 25% percent of vitamin D levels is associated with a 26% increased rate of all-cause mortality.[ii]  It has been proposed that doubling global vitamin D levels could significantly reduce mortality.[iii] Research published in the journal Clinical Endocrinology in 2009 confirmed that lower vitamin D levels are associated with increased all-cause mortality but also that the effect is even more pronounced with cardiovascular mortality.[iv] This finding was confirmed the same year in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, [v]and again in 2010 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.[vi]

Magnesium: In a world gone mad over taking inorganic calcium supplementation for invented diseases such as T-score defined “osteopenia” or “osteoporosis,” despite their well-known association with increased risk of cardiac mortality, magnesium’s role in protecting against heart disease cannot be overstressed. It is well-known that even the accelerated aging of the heart muscle experienced by those in long space flight is due to magnesium deficiency. In 2010, the Journal of Biomedical Sciences reported that cardiovascular risks are significantly lower in individuals who excrete higher levels of magnesium, indicating its protective role.[vii]  Another study published in the journal Atherosclerosis in 2011 found that low serum magnesium concentrations predict cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.[viii] Remember that when you are looking to ‘supplement’ your diet with magnesium go green. Chlorophyll is green because it has a magnesium atom at its center. Kale, for example, is far better a source of complex nutrition than magnesium supplements. But, failing the culinary approach, magnesium supplements can be highly effective at attaining a therapeutic and/or cardioprotective dose.

For an additional list of compounds that may reduce cardiac mortality, including cocoa, tea, wine and yes, even cholesterol itself, view our Reduce Cardiac Mortality page.

Pomegranate Heart Health Benefits

Four Natural Compounds Which May Unclog the Arteries

Pomegranate: this remarkable fruit has been found in a human clinical study to reverse the carotid artery thickness (i.e. blockage) by up to 29% within 1 year. [ix] There are a broad range of mechanisms that have been identified which may be responsible for this effect, including: 1) lowering blood pressure 2) fighting infection (plaque in arteries often contains bacteria and viruses) 3) preventing cholesterol oxidation 4) reducing inflammation.[x]

Arginine: Preclinical and clinical research indicates that this amino acid not only prevents the progression of atherosclerosis but also reverses pathologies associated with the process. (see also: Clogged Arteries and Arginine). One of the mechanisms in which it accomplishes this feat is by increasing the production of nitric oxide which is normally depressed in blood vessels where the inner lining has been damaged (endothelium) resulting in dysfunction.

Garlic: Not only has garlic been found to reduce a multitude of risk factors associated with arteriosclerosis, the thickening and hardening of the arteries, but it also significantly reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke.[xi]  In vitro research has confirmed that garlic inhibits arteriosclerotic plaque formation.[xii]  Aged garlic extract has also been studied to inhibit the progression of coronary artery calcification in patients receiving statin therapy.[xiii]

And let us not forget, garlic’s benefits are extremely broad. We have identified over 150 diseases that this remarkable culinary and medicinal herb has been confirmed to be of potential value in treating and preventing and which can be viewed here: Garlic Health Benefits.

B-Complex: One of the few vitamin categories that has been confirmed in human studies to not only reduce the progression of plaque buildup in the arteries but actually reverse it is B-complex. A 2009 study published in the journal Stroke found that high dose B-complex vitamin supplementation significantly reduces the progression of early-stage subclinical atherosclerosis in healthy individuals.[xiv] More remarkably, a 2005 study published in the journal Atherosclerosisfound a B-vitamin formula decreased the carotid artery thickness in patients at risk for cerebral ischemia.[xv] Another possible explanation for these positive effects is the role B-vitamins have in reducing the production of homocysteine, an artery and otherwise blood vessel scarring amino acid.[xvi]

Additional Heart Unfriendly Things To Avoid

No discussion of preventing cardiac mortality would be complete without discussing things that need to be removed in order to reduce risk, such as:

NSAIDs: Drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen, and Tylenol, have well-known association with increased cardiac mortality. Review six studies on the topic here: NSAID Cardiotoxicity.

Statin Drugs: It is the height of irony that the very category of drugs promoted to millions globally as the standard of care for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease and cardiac mortality are actually cardiotoxic agents, linked to no less than 300 adverse health effects. Statin drugs have devastating health effects. Explore the research here: Statin Drug Health Effects.

Wheat: while this connection is rarely discussed, even by those who promote grain-free and wheat free diets, wheat has profound cardiotoxic potential, along with over 200 documented adverse health effects: Wheat Toxicity. And why wouldn’t it, when the very countries that eat the most of it have the highest rate of cardiovascular disease and heart-related deaths? For an in-depth explanation read our article: Wheat’s Cardiotoxicity: As Serious As A Heart Attack.

Finally, for additional research on the topic of heart health promoting strategies visit our Health

Tylenol Provides More Than Just Pain Relief: 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Acetaminophen

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Acetaminophen, more commonly known as Tylenol, is one of the most popular over-the-counter pain medications we encounter. Popping a couple Tylenol pills when you have a headache is as routine as brushing your teeth before you go to bed. But based on recent research, acetaminophen’s short- and long-term side effects may involve more than potential liver damage. Here are seven effects of acetaminophen that researchers have studied in recent years, and which call into question the safety and efficacy of the drug.

REDUCES EMPATHY

Acetaminophen may alleviate your splitting headache, but it may also numb your emotions, according to researchers at Ohio State University. In a recent study, Baldwin Way, assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State, and his team investigated how acetaminophen could actually reduce people’s ability to feel both negative and positive feelings. When students were divided into an acetaminophen group and a placebo group, those who had taken the drug showed less empathy when rating sad short stories compared to those who hadn’t.

“If you are having an argument with your spouse and you just took acetaminophen, this research suggests you might be less understanding of what you did to hurt your spouse’s feelings,” Way said. He and his team have examined this trend for some time, and found similar results in a 2015 study. However, they still don’t completely understand the emotional or psychological mechanisms behind the drug’s ability to reduce empathy. Way hypothesizes that there’s a possibility acetaminophen blunts a part of the brain called the insula, which registers and responds to emotional pain.

acetaminophenAcetaminophen may affect our bodies in more ways than just pain relief.

KILLS HUNDREDS OF AMERICANS EVERY YEAR

Tylenol may seem like a safe drug, and for the most part it is. But long-term use of the pills, or taking one too many in a short period of time, may contribute to liver damage and even death from overdose. According to a ProPublica analysis of three sets of data, up to 980 people die each year of causes related to acetaminophen use, and over 300 die from direct acetaminophen overdose. The same report found that based on FDA data, the number of deaths caused by acetaminophen was increasing faster than those for other common pain medications like aspirin and ibuprofen. There’s a fine line between safety and risk when it comes to acetaminophen, and the recent stats prove that: taking the right dose, not more, is important.

AFFECTS YOUR BRAIN’S ABILITY TO PROCESS ERRORS

It’s only been recently that scientists have begun investigating acetaminophen’s effect on the brain and behavior. The research that showed that the drug could dull emotions became something of a trigger for other scientists to delve further into understanding exactly how it affects pathways in the brain.

As a result, earlier this year, researchers published a study that found acetaminophen actually impaired people’s ability to detect errors, hinting that not only does it blunt feelings, but it may also mess with your problem-solving ability. “It looks like acetaminophen makes it harder to recognize an error, which may have implications for cognitive control in daily life,” author of the study Dan Randles said.

MAKES YOU LESS EXISTENTIAL

This all comes back to the same notion: that acetaminophen may affect the brain in more ways than we originally thought. Researchers are aware that brain pathways managing physical pain are linked to emotional responses, and believe that acetaminophen’s subtle effects on our emotions may be related to that. In 2009, researchers found that the drug could reduce feelings of social rejection and existential distress.

“When people feel overwhelmed with uncertainty in life or distressed by a lack of purpose, what they’re feeling may actually be painful distress,” the researchers stated. “We think that Tylenol is blocking existential unease in the same way it prevents pain, because a similar neurological process is responsible for both types of distress.”

LOWERS TESTOSTERONE IN UNBORN BABIES

Generally speaking, acetaminophen is safe to take in the form of Tylenol if you’re pregnant — and taking the right dose. But recent research questions the drug’s safety when it comes to the unborn baby. For example, a 2015 study discovered that acetaminophen was linked to lower testosterone in male infant mice. Since the study was only done in mice, there’s nothing to worry about if you take occasional Tylenol pills while pregnant, but the researchers still encourage pregnant women to talk to their doctors first.

MIGHT GIVE YOUR KIDS ADHD

Another recent study found that mothers who used Tylenol to treat fevers while they were pregnant reported more ADHD-like symptoms in their children. But the researchers were unable to fully conclude whether taking Tylenol during pregnancy was to blame more than other factors for the increased risk of ADHD symptoms within some children. Instead, the researchers note that mothers who take regular doses of Tylenol — especially to reduce fevers — should be totally fine, assuming they’re living a healthy lifestyle.

DOESN’T ALWAYS WORK FOR BACK PAIN

Perhaps one of the most surprising discoveries about acetaminophen is that it’s not exactly the most effective medicine for back or neck pain. In 2014, a group of Australian researchers found that acetaminophen did nearly nothing to help treat back pain, though it did still prove useful for headaches, toothaches, and other types of pain. Another study came to a similar conclusion, noting that doctors should reconsider recommendations to use Tylenol for back pain or even osteoarthritis in certain joints, like the hip and knee. However, don’t be afraid to continue using safe doses of acetaminophen to treat pain and fever.