Acetaminophen – the news network

Study: Acetaminophen Use for Fever in Children Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and restrictive behavior, interests, and activities. Our previous case-control study showed that use of acetaminophen at age 12–18 months is associated with increased likelihood for ASD (OR 8.37, 95% CI 2.08–33.7). In this study, we again show that acetaminophen use is associated with ASD (p = 0.013). Because these children are older than in our first study, the association is reversed; fewer children with ASD vs. non-ASD children use acetaminophen as a “first choice” compared to “never use” (OR 0.165, 95% CI 0.045, 0.599). We found significantly more children with ASD vs. non- ASD children change to the use of ibuprofen when acetaminophen is not effective at reducing fever (p = 0.033) and theorize this change in use is due to endocannabinoid system dysfunction. We also found that children with ASD vs. non-ASD children are significantly more likely to show an increase in sociability when they have a fever (p = 0.037) and theorize that this increase is due to anandamide activation of the endocannabinoid system in ASD children with low endocannabinoid tone from early acetaminophen use. In light of this we recommend that acetaminophen use be reviewed for safety in children.

Acetaminophen (Tylenol) Harmful for Babies
An article in the New York Times this week warns that prenatal use of acetaminophen—the main ingredient in Tylenol—has been linked to an increased risk of asthma and attention disorders in children whose mothers took the drug.
Acetaminophen is found in over 600 over-the-counter and prescription medications. Petra Arck, professor of fetal-maternal medicine at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, whose rodent experiments have found that acetaminophen stresses the liver and alters the placenta in pregnant mice, told the Times that because it’s so common pregnant women may be taking more acetaminophen than they are aware.
The damage done by acetaminophen seems to be dose dependent—the more a pregnant woman takes, the more serious the effects in her offspring. But since it’s found in so many products, many marketed for babies and children, what if infants, too, are being exposed to damagingly high levels of acetaminophen?
If acetaminophen can harm the fetus during pregnancy, when the baby has the protection of the mother’s liver, as well as the placenta, what if it’s even more harmful when given directly to infants?

But evidence has accumulated that, when taken during pregnancy, acetaminophen may increase the risk that children will develop asthma or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The elevated risk in most studies is small, and whether the drug itself is really to blame is debatable. But considering that more than 65 percent of pregnant women in the United States use acetaminophen at some point during their pregnancy, the number of children with problems stemming from it could be substantial.
The odd thing about acetaminophen is that even after decades of widespread use, no one knows precisely how it blunts pain. But it has earned a reputation for strange side effects. Experiments indicate that it impedes people’s ability to empathize. It may undercut the brain’s ability to detect errors. When taken after a vaccine, it may suppress the immune system. Why might the drug affect both asthma and A.D.H.D. rates? Scientists have variously speculated that it could tweak the immune system during pregnancy, or disrupt hormones, or change growth factors in the developing brain. In short, no one knows.

Acetaminophen is the most common drug ingredient in America. There are more than 600 medicines that contain acetaminophen, including over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription (Rx) medicines. Below is a list of some common brand-name medicines, some forms of which contain acetaminophen.

Some Common Over-the-Counter Brand Name Drugs That Contain Acetaminophen

Actifed®
Alka-Seltzer Plus®
Anacin®
Cepacol®
Contac®
Coricidin®
Dayquil®
Dimetapp®
Dristan®
Excedrin®
Feverall®
Formula 44®
Goody’s® Powders
Liquiprin®
Midol®
Mucinex®
Nyquil®
Panadol®
Robitussin®
Saint Joseph® Aspirin-Free
Singlet®
Sinutab®
Sudafed®
Theraflu®
Triaminic®
TYLENOL® Brand Products
Vanquish®
Vicks®
*And store brands

Some Common Prescription Drugs That Contain Acetaminophen (or APAP)

Butalbital®
Endocet®
Fioricet®
Hycotab®
Hydrocet®
Hydrocodone Bitartrate®
Lortab®
MIDRIN®
NORCO®
Oxycodone®
Percocet®
Phenaphen®
ROXICET ™
Sedapap®
Tapanol®
Tramadol
TYLENOL® with Codeine
Tylox®
Ultracet®
Vicodin®
Zydone®
*And generic drugs