The Buzz about Acetaminophen

I recently had a follow-up appointment with my holistic pediatrician. We talked about helicopter parenting. She is writing a book right now about the risks associated with keeping your child in a bubble and not letting them live and experience life. I have to admit, I could easily fall into the helicopter parenting category but am really trying to work on it. In fact, I threw Lana in a grocery cart without a cover the other day and have been letting my boys go to the gym day care here and there...all big steps for me!

The doc did clarify that there is a big difference between helicopter parenting and a parent who does their homework. I really don't want to be the parent that looks the other way because it is more difficult to do the right thing. With that said, read the article below. I am not posting it to scare people. I am posting it because I believe knowledge is power. Maybe this is something worth making adjustments for... My mother-in-law sent me this article and my pediatrician also recently told me to cut back, if not cut out acetaminophen. Unfortunately, I do still administer acetaminophen if Lana's fever is not reduced with Motrin. However, from here on out, I will use Motrin first for a fever reducer. Check it out:

Common med linked to lymphoma

"Acetaminophen is such a common household med that most people think it's perfectly safe. Hopefully you're not one of them.

But if you are, you can't afford to miss this -- because the news about this supposedly safe painkiller keeps getting worse.

According to the latest study, taking just four acetaminophen per week for four years could double your risk of blood cancer (called lymphoma).

Lymphoma is a disease that often has one of three causes: infection, a compromised immune system, or exposure to toxic chemicals.

Which category does acetaminophen fall into? It's a trick question, because the answer is "all of the above."

Acetaminophen overuse can damage the liver, reducing the body's ability to fight infection. It can also cause liver failure, which is a dead giveaway of its toxicity.

It has even been linked to asthma in kids -- yet another indication that it suppresses the immune system.

Add it all up, and you've got the lymphoma trifecta -- a perfect storm of cancer risk factors.

It's stunning that after 60 years on the market we're still learning of new risks linked to this painkiller -- and I'd bet money we'll learn of even more down the road.

But instead of cutting back on this poorly understood drug, Big Pharma has been using it as the "secret ingredient" in just about everything. Last I checked, it was in some 300 pain, cold, and allergy products.

The feds have talked about limiting access, lowering the dose, blah blah blah -- you know by now you can't count on them to protect you.

You've got to protect yourself.

And by that, I don't mean gobbling one a day to help prevent prostate cancer.

Just throw it out -- and use the trashcan, not the toilet. We don't need any more poison in the water supply."