Is Tylenol Dangerous?

A viewer tells us they've been taking Tylenol for Crohn's disease, but they've heard the drug is dangerous. Doctor Lacy Anderson says to take it with caution.

In general, Tylenol (which is generic ) is very safe for most people. It works for both fever and pain and is safe on the kidneys and stomach. 

Anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen and naproxen can increase the risk of stomach ulcers and chronic kidney disease over time and acetaminophen is considered much safer than anti-inflammatories.

However, acetaminophen can be deadly if you take too much of it. An overdose can lead to liver failure over the next few days if we don't start immediate treatment.  

If I have parents of teenagers who are at risk of suicide, I ask the parents to get all guns out of the house as well as all acetaminophen, narcotics, and sedatives. 

There have even been accidental overdoses where adults were taking a lot of acetaminophen for things like a toothache and the overdose killed them.   

If you take narcotic pain medication that includes acetaminophen, like hydrocodone or oxycodone, please be careful taking extra acetaminophen or Tylenol with it.