Tylenol. It’s in every medicine cabinet, too easy to get your hands on, and is recommended by “experts” for every kid ailment known to man. But the truth is … it’s bad bad bad and you should throw it out, run away from anyone who says you should use it, and never look back.
Recommending Tylenol to a kid for anything short of a train wreck is going to go down as one of the worst pieces of medical advice known to man. Why? Because it’s dangerous and it doesn’t work (at least not the way you think it does).
Tylenol Makes Big Money and Can Cause Big Side Effects
Tylenol (Acetaminophen) hit the scene in 1955 as a “prescription only” pain reliever, was making bank just a few years later, was acquired by Johnson and Johnson in 1959, and was available over the counter within a year after that. Tylenol has been a hugely successful product, making its billions off of parents who give it to their kids post-vaccine, post-nasal drip, during a cold, and for serious things like hang nail pains and 99 degree “send me over the edge” fevers.
But here’s my beef: Tylenol is toxic and has a very narrow margin of error – meaning that taking the tiniest amount more than what’s needed could cause serious harm. There’s a reason that most acetaminophen-containing products have a “black box warning” (the FDA’s strongest drug label warning). It’s because acetaminophen is associated with side-effects that could scare the socks off a cat.
Tylenol Doesn’t Do What You Think it Does
That whole spiel (if you even had one) about Tylenol having about zero side-effects? WRONG. This was a case of “take this cute little pill now,” get autism later that should have been researched, discovered, and disclosed back in the day when they started passing this junk out like hopped up M & M’s.
If you’re giving your child Tylenol for pain, a fever, or worse … giving it preemptively (prior to a procedure or vaccinations), you should know that it doesn’t do what you think it does. Tylenol doesn’t reduce pain, is a neurotoxic endocrine disruptor, is harmful to a developing fetus, and is even more harmful to babies and small children whose bodies’ can’t clear the drug.
Tylenol may cause autism in boys if taken during pregnancy, attention-related disorders, sex and hormone dysfunction in both genders, and hyperactivity (ADHD). It inhibits the ability to feel empathy (another person’s pain) and glutathione production (which helps the body handle toxins).
Tylenol is the number one cause of acute liver failure in children, sends 60,000 Americans to the hospital each year, results in 100,000 calls to Poison Control, can cause death and fatal skin reactions, and could be a huge player in the autism epidemic.
It’s called … “Acetaminophen-induced Autism.”
“Autism could be an acetaminophen-induced brain injury facilitated by oxidative stress and inflammation in newborns and young children.”
Prenatal acetaminophen exposure was associated with a greater number of autism spectrum symptoms in males and showed adverse effects on attention-related outcomes for both genders.
What the what!?
But wait, it gets better. A 2008 study conducted by an epidemiologist showed that children who were given Tylenol after their MMR vaccine developed autism eight times as often as children given ibuprofen. In another study, males who were uncircumcised (and thus, were not given pain-relieving Tylenol), had a five times lower risk of autism. The studies go on and on.
I know … you’re in shock because you probably have this stuff in your medicine cabinet or gave it to your kid back in the day before you made friends with that crunchy mom who told you fevers are a good thing. You’re probably getting ready to speed dial your mom right now because you’re putting all sorts of “two-and-two” together and are having a mini-panic attack.
You’re probably wondering why you can’t get your hands on some homeopathic teething tablets (pulled from the shelves because they were causally connected to infant mustache growth), but can give baby boo liver damage in a bottle like it ain’t no thing.
Now might not be the best time to tell you that Tylenol contains the following very special ingredients:
Carboxymethylcellulose sodium (a thickening agent), carrageenan (associated with cancer and gastrointestinal disease), citric acid, flavor, glycerin, hydroxyethyl cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, propylene glycol (a common ingredient in antifreeze that could be neurotoxic), propylparaben (a hazardous substance and endocrine disruptor), purified water, sodium benzoate, sorbitol solution, sucralose, and of course – acetaminophen.
Don’t be fooled, the FDA is completely aware of the dangers associated acetaminophen. They promised to implement safety measures and dosage restrictions, warnings, and safety measures to protect consumers from the harms of Tylenol way back when, but never followed through. It’s been 40 years and they haven’t done a thing. Tylenol makes way too much money and you know about the FDA’s impressive ability to write-off children damaged by billion dollar industries.
What are you supposed to do if you can’t give your kid Tylenol?
You have a few options:
- Forgo any unnecessary procedure that would require you to use it or ask for an alternative.
- Stop giving your children Tylenol preemptively in anticipation of preventing some sort of issue that they may not even get.
- Do not take Tylenol if you’re pregnant. (Take a warm bath with epsom salt instead).
- Do not … under ANY circumstance … give Tylenol to your children before or after their vaccinations. Adding something toxic to a concoction of neurotoxins, hazardous wastes, and carcinogens and expecting an under-developed liver to be able to handle the load, is like taking a blow torch to a fart.
- Stop poppin’ the top every time little boo gets a low-grade fever.
- Opt for natural pain relievers and at-home remedies instead of acetaminophen. There’s a lot of woo out there that works and doesn’t contain a black box “could kill ya” warning.
It’s not the 90s anymore and we can’t pretend that Tylenol is safe. We have to protect our children when those who are supposed to put the safeguards in place, don’t. That’s why we should probably stop giving our kids Tylenol.
What’s an alternative to tylenol after a surgery…my 3.5 month old is having endoscopic skull surgery this week and I’m terrified of how to deal with his pain. I’ve heard they’ll send us home with a strong pain med which most babies can’t tolerate and vomit up and tylenol every 4 hours. Is there an alternative?
Hi Mega,
Would you please provide your qualifications to provide this type of information? Also, what are the studies you are citing? Links and supporting data would be very helpful.
Thank you.
Hi Andra, Citations are hyperlinked. Secondly, I need no qualifications to write my opinion (about Tylenol or any other subject) on my own blog; however, you can read more about me in the “about” or “meet Megan” sections.
Bests,
Megan
Hey Megan, nice article. I even more enjoyed your smatter with the trolls. Too bad their ignorance eludes them. Keep on keepin on!
Thanks for reading Marie. 🙂
Thanks for the article. What type of pain relief do you suggest for a two year old getting a tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy? I hear ibuprofen is bad as well, so what’s a mom to do? Surely I can’t forego pain relief for my LO.
Ibuprofen is safer than tylenol *except* in pregnant women and infants under six months. Go for ibuprofen. You’re right, it would be completely inhumane to refuse a toddler any pain relief after surgery.
You do not want to give ibuprofen after a tonsillectomy.
for every ibuprofen you take your liver bleeds a teaspoon, how is that better. The reason we are in pain or have a headache is not because we are ibuprofen deficient..therefore dont take any of these things. They are not natural and all have side effects.
As a Pediatric Nurse ibuprofen is filtered through your kidneys and not your liver. That is why it isn’t recommended under 6 months. Also we give ibuprofen after tonsilectomies as long as they don’t have an underlying bleeding disorder.
My son is 4 months old. I am also a RN. I chose not to vaccinate. I refused the hep b vaccine when my son was born which led to my mom researching and led to me finding this rabbit hole of big pharma BS! I share all that I can to pregnant and new mamas. I have woken up to all this evil,money hungry, mind poisoning corruption and it’s time for others to wake up too!
Why won’t more doctors admit that vaccines are harming children?
Amen, Andrea! If only all the other nurses would listen to you and follow your lead… we’d all be in better shape. God bless your mother and you! Now we just need everyone else to start saying No to all the horrible things they’ve been pushing on us! The AMA is not the Divine answer the older generation believed they were.
Being a retired Labor and delivery RN, I see meds come and go for pregnant women and for newborns. Thirty years ago tylenol was the only drug because aspirin was related to Reyes syndrome. Then there was the tylenol that was laced with poison..Tylenol has never been a good drug for anyone. In my practice all of a sudden docs no longer used tylenol for women in pregnancy and now its not used on children as much. Watch the autism epidemic slow down.
If you research aspirin and Reyes Syndrome, it’s unbelievable that aspirin ever got put on the bad list. What I found while researching is that the chance of Reyes Syndrome is miniscule compared to the chance of vaccine induced autism. Yet, we’ve all been dutifully NOT giving aspirin to kids for 25 or 30 years. Hmmm….
“In 1977, 454 cases of Reye’s syndrome were reported in the United States.” https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/reyes-syndrome-a-rare-but-serious-pediatric-condition
Of how many total children? 65 Million American children were 17 and under in 1977. https://www.childstats.gov/AMERICASCHILDREN/tables/pop1.asp
That means 0.0007% of children had fell victim to Reyes Syndrome in 1977.
Compare this to versus the appallingly high rate of vaccine induced autism which affects 1 in 36 American children right now. What in the Sam Hill is going on? Did Bayer aspirin piss someone off? Did they not pay off the right people?
Rage is the only emotion I feel when I read this article. You know what is a major player in the autism epidemic? People who feel the undying need to associate their child’s autism with whatever they can.
1) When given with the correct dosing (10-15mg/kg every 4-6 hours *as needed*; 1kg = 2.2lbs, just fyi) Tylenol won’t harm your child.
2) Of course it’s the #1 cause of acute liver failure in children – because you conveniently didn’t mention that children = 1-18 years old and that many adolescents take it to intentionally (or sometimes unintentionally) overdose. I know this because I used to do rounds with the Poison Center and now I work in the ER at a hospital. Of course it’s the #1 cause of liver failure in children – when you overdose it on your child because you’re an idiot and can’t do math, you’re going to kill their liver.
3) You straight up lied about how Tylenol after MMR vaccination gives children autism because you cited an article that did a poorly designed case control study where the case group consisted of children who had autism BEFORE they got the vaccine – you can’t say Tylenol causes autism in children who had autism before taking Tylenol. Also, it’s not even a peer reviewed article, so it’s not legit at all.
Come on. Stop spouting this nonsense and doing things like highlighting the inactive ingredients to make them seem scary. You know what else causes cancer? The sun. The air we breathe that’s filled with pollutants. I won’t even say anymore because of how done I am with wasting my time on this ridiculous hippy dippy article.
– Your local Doctor of Pharmacy
I’m so sorry you feel that way, S.
Of coarse seeing the comment that was written by “Local Doctor of Big PHARMA” explains it all! I agree with this article and watched my friends kids suffer from autism, autoimmune deseases and much more because of your big Pharma “help”. No thanks! Stop leading people the wrong way when they’re are waking up to this evil!
Well as a grandparent of a child who was given Tylenol after 7 vaccines including MMR. I know the truth he was a beautiful bright boy hitting all of his milestones then he lost his language stills and started stimming and is behind in every area now. Please don’t use Tylenol or any product with acetaminophen anyone who says it’s safe are probably working for the big pharmaceutical companies. My grandson was given Motrin until then and I know tylenol causes decreases in glutilione which effects your brain. Also his mom was very sick and died after he was born took lots of Tylenol for pain.
Children being overloaded with toxins are what is causing autism. Tylenol after vaccines does cause issues. Children aren’t meant to be loaded up with drugs and toxins. Of coarse we are having an autism epidemic. My son never recovered from his horrible reaction to vaccines. This is happening to children everyday. You can make light of it all you want and discount the thousands of parents stories like mine, but the good news is that people are seeing it with their own eyes. People are waking up to the dangers of vaccines and too many prescription drugs.
Absolutely Lori & AMEN! 😇 Autism is caused by TOXIC OVERLOAD period. Vaccines, Tylenol etc. Just watch how the HEALTHY 2020 ADULT VACCINE PLAN will end up causing adults AUTISM/ENCEPHALITIS. It will start happening with adults as soon as their bodies are compromised with too many toxins in the vaccines, just like about 1 in 50 of our sick kids. 😕
I highly recommend everyone read the actual MMR vaccine insert that states as an adverse reaction, ENCEPHALITIS/BRAIN INFLAMMATION=AUTISM. Of course no doctor or nurse reads those so they have NO idea what a vaccine reaction even looks like! 😧
Seeing the documentary VAXXED was life changing for my husband & I. http://www.vaxxedthemovie.com
Parents stories all around the world don’t lie! Watch them here:
http://www.vaxxed.com 🙏🙏🙏
Wow! So you figured out that autism is definitely caused by toxic overload! I guess all of those researchers can stop their search for the cause of autism, because you’ve got the answer!
Researchers aren’t being paid to objectively find the cause of autism. They’re being paid to find links that shield pharmaceutical companies. This is pretty clear if you’ve actually read the “research.” Autism is caused by genetics (which ironically epigenetic expression is triggered by vaccines). It’s caused during pregnancy (when women are subjected to vaccines). It’s linked to aluminum (which is an ingredient found in vaccines). The brains of autistic children show signs of encephalitis (which is a possible adverse reaction of vaccines). It’s been linked to acetaminophen/antibiotic use … ironically given common after routine vaccines. Autism has been linked to glyphosate (a carcinogen commonly found in genetically modified foods and in the umbilical cords of tested women and children). I could go on …
I EFFING LOVE YOU right now for this !!!!!!!!
<3 <3 <3
Thank you for correcting so many of the errors of this article, with actual knowledge and science. Paracetamol is used in millions of doses all over the world, with very little harm except in huge overdose. AND, children are more tolerant than adults. It;s not recommended for “every ailment” – but for easing the discomfort of pain and high fever.
Thank you! Finally an educated individual, not one claiming conspiracy theory about EVERYTHING (oh, but buy MY oils that make me LOTS of money)!
Thank you for this response- I felt upset after reading this like everything I have ever been doing for my children is terrible and I’m doing it wrong. Reading your response helped.
Who do we believe now ? Making claims like Tylenol causes death and Autism is not a joke or a claim that should be taken lightly! I have given my son Tylenol and he seems to be doing fine, I do agree try not you medicine at all cost but watching your LO cry uncontrollable not sleep and hot to touch isn’t humane either ! Your not helping anyone with these articles unless you show both sides and leave it up to the parent to make the best choice. All your doing is causing more FEAR and it makes you no different than BIG PHARMA ! If you really believed your claims than hire some lawyers and file a class action against Tylenol INC asap ! That’s how you stop it not writing C – highscool persuasive papers ! This to me is outrageous that a young mother might read this and might be more afraid and guilt ridden than empowered and supported by you ! You may not like Tylenol or meds for that matter but It feels as though you need to do something about it yourself.
– Sadden Parent
Totally agreed. Bad research techniques, sketchy practice. My son is autistic and I do not believe it is related to medicine or vaccines. These people with these “studies” always get found out. The study linking autism to vaccines was completely discredited. The “doctor” that ran this study was completely discredited. The study was funded by lawyers trying to get a massive settlement. Until hard, non-biased evidence is available, I will not link my sons diagnosis with medicine. At this point linking autism to vaccines or medicine is like saying I went outside, fell down the stairs, and at the same time a red jeep drove by…red jeeps cause me to fall down the stairs. ((((sorry, but children just happen to receive vaccines right around the time children display signs of autism, regression… Before doing research and discovering the studies were flawed, I almost fell into this trap. At this point, I feel like there is most likely underlying genetic issues, which in the future may be treated with medication, along with the therapy he is receiving now.
I can not believe any article in the world ks publishing a statement that autism is related to vaccinations. As someone already pointed out, the doctor who started that nonesense lost his medical license—published lies basically — even more, a rececent mass study was dome to literally prove there is absolutely no connection, in fact the children who recieved the vaccinations had less autism than the unvaccinated group — When your child is the miraculous recipient of modern medicine and is alive and well, go ahead and rewright this bogus article.
If you all feel that only uneducated “crazies” believe there is a link between vaccines and autism, then why to people like Robert Kennedy, Jr. have foundations (World Mercury Project) specifically dedicated to sharing factual science about this epidemic? They are working very hard to shed light on the importance of getting the TRUTH out to the public. RFK, Jr. also testified before Congress last month and presented very detailed factual evidence proving a correlation between heavy metal toxicity (from vaccines) and autoimmune diseases/autism. You should really seek to educate yourself and not just believe everything is safe because doctors told you so (they’ve been told that too). The mainstream media has reported not to use Tylenol with vaccines, except they disguise the facts by saying it makes vaccines “less effective”. However, the information is still the same – don’t mix Tylenol with vaccines period.
Exactly, because if not, why does my child not have autism? and he was given tylenol after his regularly on-time scheduled vaccines???
Because your child has a different constitutional make-up, different genetics, different suseptibilites, etc. Why can two people smoke 2 packs a day for 30 years, but only one gets lung cancer? Consider yourself lucky. Some aren’t so fortunate.
Thank you ! Until we can prove with out a reasonable doubt why create unnecessary fear for more people! Thank you for sharing God bless you and your son 🙂 I know that God must think your pretty dang strong and loving , he gives special children to special
People 🙂
Thank you. My oldest child is autistic. He never had a vaccine till he was six years old, long after his ASD symptoms were obvious, and he’s never had tylenol at all. He was born with it. People just really want to blame ASD on modern medicine, and they keep coming up with new ways it’s supposed to work. Nope. It’s usually genetic.
Nail on the head!! Nicely put. So glad I’m not the only one thinking that this is outrageous and quite quick to make a diagnoses so easily… lol. “My child isn’t perfect” Must be the Tylenol, or the processed foods, or that we didn’t breastfeed until 2… how on earth did we survive? No one has the right to make assumptions based on speculation! Based on what you “read” and “hear”. There is nothing that proves Tylenol does f**k all to harm an infant/toddler/ child. There are so many things to even consider before you start trying to relate illness one specific thing. Ignorance!
Bottom line is that you are not a bad parent if you decide to give you child Tylenol or you don’t! Most mothers only want the best for our kids. Does not mean that because you decide on a 100% natural upbringing makes you better it’s a choice and what works. Not everyone has the access to determine whether homeopathic/organic/all natural is an option. Does that mean that other parents don’t care? Does that make you better than anyone and that their child wasn’t brought up they way they should be in your opinion?
An open mind is probably a better way to be an advocate pertaining to parenthood advice.
Thank you, S! Finally some common sense and TRUTH on this page. I cannot believe how ignorant some people are, especially those who STILL believe that autism is caused by vaccines, despite the fact that the person who originally stated this crap admitted he LIED about it!
L, You should really read the Lancet study and retraction (and the research of the 12+ scientists who have replicated those results) … while also opening up your mind to the fact that those of us who believe vaccines are connected to autism, don’t believe such because of Wakefield or some spoon-fed media propaganda.
Thank God somebody else had the sense to look at this article and refute all the garbage in it. I keep looking for research to support Tylenol being dangerous, and it keeps coming back that unless you are allergic to it or consistently take higher than the recommended dosage, the risk of any minor side effect is extremely low. All this fear-mongering is ridiculous.
the sun, acid free, clean water with magnesium hydroxide, bicarbonate, sodium, potassium, and phosphorus bicarbonates are the only things healing us. if you were not so dha and magnesium deficient, you could feel this and thusly understand it. also, mercury adjuvants cause deterioration of micro tubules in the brain.. sounds like you are in the poison business.
If you believe that you can trust peer reviewed studies, think again. Big pharma controls almost all of these studies now. If it’s favorable to the drug, it gets in. If it’s not, it never sees the light of day.
“Editor In Chief Of World’s Best Known Medical Journal: Half Of All The Literature Is False
“Science has taken a turn towards Darkness”
In the past few years more professionals have come forward to share a truth that, for many people, proves difficult to swallow. One such authority is Dr. Richard Horton, the current editor-in-chief of the Lancet – considered to be one of the most well respected peer-reviewed medical journals in the world.
Dr. Horton recently published a statement declaring that a lot of published research is in fact unreliable at best, if not completely false.
“The case against science is straightforward: much of the scientific literature, perhaps half, may simply be untrue. Afflicted by studies with small sample sizes, tiny effects, invalid exploratory analyses, and flagrant conflicts of interest, together with an obsession for pursuing fashionable trends of dubious importance, science has taken a turn towards darkness.” http://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736%2815%2960696-1.pdf (source)
This is quite disturbing, given the fact that all of these studies (which are industry sponsored) are used to develop drugs/vaccines to supposedly help people, train medical staff, educate medical students and more.
It’s common for many to dismiss a lot of great work by experts and researchers at various institutions around the globe which isn’t “peer-reviewed” and doesn’t appear in a “credible” medical journal, but as we can see, “peer-reviewed” doesn’t really mean much anymore. “Credible” medical journals continue to lose their tenability in the eyes of experts and employees of the journals themselves, like Dr. Horton.
He also went on to call himself out in a sense, stating that journal editors aid and abet the worst behaviours, that the amount of bad research is alarming, that data is sculpted to fit a preferred theory. He goes on to observe that important confirmations are often rejected and little is done to correct bad practices. What’s worse, much of what goes on could even be considered borderline misconduct.
Dr. Marcia Angell, a physician and longtime Editor in Chief of the New England Medical Journal (NEMJ), which is considered to another one of the most prestigious peer-reviewed medical journals in the world, makes her view of the subject quite plain:
“It is simply no longer possible to believe much of the clinical research that is published, or to rely on the judgment of trusted physicians or authoritative medical guidelines. I take no pleasure in this conclusion, which I reached slowly and reluctantly over my two decades as an editor of the New England Journal of Medicine” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2964337/ (source)
There is much more than anecdotal evidence to support these claims, however, including documents obtained by Lucija Tomljenovic, PhD, from the Neural Dynamics Research Group in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of British Columbia, which reveal that vaccine manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and health authorities have known about multiple dangers associated with vaccines but chose to withhold them from the public. This is scientific fraud, and their complicity suggests that this practice continues to this day. https://www.nsnbc.me/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/BSEM-2011.pdf (source)
Here are just a few of the CE articles related to this subject:
One of the Most Important Scientists in the World: “Most Cancer Research is Largely a Fraud”: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2015/05/11/one-of-the-most-important-scientists-in-the-world-most-cancer-research-is-largely-a-fraud/
Flawed Medical Research May Be Ruining Your Health & Your Life: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2015/05/06/flawed-medical-research-may-be-ruining-your-health-your-life-important/
Fake Science:
Watch FULL MEASURE with Sharyl Attkisson: May 7, 2017 –>
https://www.facebook.com/100010770822632/videos/vb.100010770822632/461264650909225/?type=2&theater “
Homeopathics have always worked great for my children. Way better pain relief than Tylenol has ever been!
Homeopathics don’t actually “work” – they don’t contain any active ingredients. If your children didn’t have severe pain and got better spontaneously, they likely didn;t need medicine at all.
Of course there are no “active” ingredients. Homeopathy is based off of like cure’s like, the minimum dose, and single remedy. 😉
Megan, you are awesome. Good for you for being brave, bold and truthful about what ethical and non-manipulated research shows against the filth CDC and other affiliated groups are broadcasting. Sure, the original theory of vaccines sounds good but they are not made with ethical or safe ingredients.. and the fact that the CDC has covered up, manipulated and lied about so much. I don’t trust them. Each parent needs to do their own research!! Our people.. our nation.. our future is being poisoned. We need more doctors that are willing to take the stand and give parents the total information package about vaccines and medications they are prescribing to men, women, children and precious babies. I’ve been watching The Truth About Vaccines documentary, which is being shown for free for the past week, and they touched on how acetaminophen damages your liver and when given before/after vaccines, their bodies aren’t able to rid themselves of the toxic toxic chemicals being shot into them. So sad! Breaks my heart.
I am grateful that I stumbled across your blog and enjoy reading your posts! You are a wonderful woman and no doubt a great mama to your kiddos. I have a 16 month old daughter and am thankful for the knowledge I have gleaned from various resources and blogs like yours – I look forward to learning more! The Lord has special plans for your life Megan.. you have a life-experience resume unlike many women your age and He IS using that and will continue to use you to move mountains in His kingdom.
When I read your articles, I feel as though you are a fiesty best friend 😉 drawing out bravery and courage in me to stand strong against the strong current of our culture. To educate myself and protect my family from the things our society says are okay because if my husband and I don’t, nobody will. Thanks for being that for me!
Aw. Thanks for reading Kellie and for the very kind words. So glad you are here! <3
Hello, my son got the vitamin K shot at birth a month ago. Was wondering if he is too young for episode salt baths.
What if your baby has febrile seizures?
I was told after citing your article, and I quote “My understanding is that the level that is dangerous for a child isn’t close to the dose on the bottle. That may be true for adults, but when my kids got a hold of some medicine (I think it was Tylenol–might have been Motrin), poison control told me the dose on the bottle is the estimate of what will be effective to curb pain for that child so that the child’s body doesn’t take in more than it needs to do the job. It is not even close to the dose that is dangerous levels (that’s like 10 times the dose on the package or something).” – end of quote. Your response?
2 things because I don’t have time or energy to say all of the things I have been thinking since finishing reading this post.
1) Correlation does not equal causation
And 2) I’ve looked into your research articles and while they may say something along the lines of what you are using them to say, you have only taken a part of the article and gave it your own perspective. The article about Tylenol reducing empathy? The researchers were trying to determine if not feeling pain took away empathy for another’s pain, as it has been shown through brain scans that feeling pain creates empathy for another’s pain. They were not saying that taking Tylenol will make you a less empathetic person.
I noticed other things in other articles as well, and that some were in Australia and medical procedures there are not necessarily regulated the same way as they are in the U.S. I don’t know where you are from, so it may be accurate to you, however it cannot be generalized to everywhere. Lastly, one random study with findings like these would need to be repeated and repeated and repeated before it would mean anything at all.
While I don’t think overmedicating is a good idea, acetaminophen is a pain reliever and fever reducer that has its purpose when used correctly. No medication is completely safe, you are correct in that. But I wouldn’t go so far to tell everyone that it’s causing Autism or that they shouldn’t give it to their children.
Thank you, and thank you to “S” for their response above as well. Sad and scary how people can write stuff like this, and people who don’t know any better will read it take it as it is.
The dangers of Tylenol are pretty well established. That we continue to recommend this drug (and drugs like it) when there are much safer alternatives is what’s sad and scary. I always recommend that people do their own research and make their own informed decisions, regardless of my personal opinion.
Can you attach some peer review articles? Cause your credentials don’t necessarily seem to espouse you to be an expert. I don’t say this to be a jerk, but what I see seems to be a lot of fear mongering in this type of community, and then when someone raises questions, there is also a lot of emotional, aggressive responses. I say that because my wife and I tend to be on this side of the spectrum, but when you don’t fall in line, the aggression is ridiculous.
Moreover, the autism link with vaccines is not a great study from what I understand, and as I understand it was Jenna McCarthy who really promoted this, here is a tidbit to help: “It’s been fifteen years since Andrew Wakefield published an article in the medical journal the Lancet which connected the childhood measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine to autism. The article was eventually retracted; ten of the thirteen original contributors long ago withdrew their work; Wakefield was found guilty of “callous disregard” for the pain of children; and, despite scores of studies, involving tens of thousands of children in several countries, no association has been found between autism and vaccines of any kind, no matter when they are administered or how many a child receives. Yet, that paper set off a wave of fear that has helped convince thousands of people that vaccinations are dangerous. McCarthy has repeatedly asserted that the rate of autism has grown rapidly alongside the number of vaccines children receive, which is not true. It is understandable that people would suspect vaccines are a cause of autism; parents often first notice developmental problems when their children are about eighteen months old, the same time they often receive several vaccinations. Causation and correlation are often confused, however, as many studies have demonstrated. (Assuming that events that happen at the same time are connected can lead to serious misconceptions: over the last decade, for example the rise in sales of organic food in the United States has mirrored the growth in autism rates almost exactly…” https://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/jenny-mccarthys-dangerous-views
Citations are hyperlinked. This isn’t a PubMed peer-reviewed paper. This is my personal (albeit educated) opinion on my personal blog. There are many studies connecting autism with vaccines and the ingredients in them. There are also studies connecting Tylenol (which is given post vaccine) to autism. Though people are quite mistaken about the Wakefield/Lancet study, you could remove it from the equation entirely and still come to the same conclusion. Vaccines can (and in many cases do) cause autism. Well over 3.2 billion dollars have been awarded to families whose children were injured by vaccines – many of whom acquired autism.
Bests,
Megan
There are now 10 human studies, plus animal and genetic studies which suggest acetaminophen during pregnancy may increase risk of offspring adverse neurodevelopment, to include autism and ADHD. Links to the research summaries can be found here: Facebook.com/acetaminophenresearch/
We have less evidence ( because of lack of research) on the use of acetaminophen by infants and the effects on neurodevelopment. However, one small study found a large increase in risk when used after the MMR and two studies suggest use by males for circumcision pain may also increase autism risk. A new review by researchers at Harvard and Duke summarizes the existing research and suggests that infant use may be most harmful. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0300060517693423
Tylenol does not have a black box warning. Tylenol with codeine does, because of the codeine.
I would just like to point out that for those of you who suffer from the occasional headache, fever, and discomfort, you are lucky. You can afford to take your Epsom salt bath and call it a day. I am a parent of a child who suffers from periodic fevers which occur every 2-3 weeks and lasts for a week at a time- she gets no relief unless I give her an anti-inflammatory (Tylenol or ibuprofen). It brings her fever down so she can eat, drink, and basically function until her body gets over her fever flare on its own. My child has a “mild” case of this, there are others who take strong medicines to combat their disease because otherwise they would be in extreme pain (swollen joints, high fevers, abdominal pain, it goes on). These are autoinflammatory diseases. Nothing environmental caused it, it’s not a bad choice Mom made when pregnant; it’s a genetic disease, in most cases (except PFAPA which is not). The parents of these kids also choose to vaccinate because they know that the benefits outweigh the risks- being equipped to fight the common flu, polio, measles…so while you can sit back and point fingers at Big Pharma, realize that there is a real science behind medicine, and while there will always be skepticism, not every study is legitimately scientifically sound. The dosage on the bottle of Tylenol is supposedly on the lighter end- get admitted to the hospital for a high fever and you’ll probably get a higher dose given to you.
The website I’m attaching to my name is an autoinflammatory database. I hope none of you ever have to search through it. You’re pretty privileged that you don’t need to.
Some pointers- carageenan is a product of kelp. Lightning is more likely to kill you than carageenan. Those homeopathic fever reducers are made of belladonna, which we all know (hopefully) that is a lethal plant but crunchy moms seem to think it’s still ok despite not being FDA-approved (aka not actually tested to see if it hurts your child) and despite it being linked to infant deaths/injuries.
While I tend to not give Tylenol until the fever is causing my child to scream out in pain, I try not to over-medicate as well, but to say to throw Tylenol out is overgeneralizing. It’s medicine- use it lightly, follow the directions.
Interesting, my grandson suffered from fevers so badly he started having seizures…regularly. The neuro’s remedy was ativan regularly. Hmm grandchild was taken to a thoracic chiropractor that specialized in pediatrics….. has been fever and seizure free for over 3 years. Western medicine is NOT always the answer.
Sandy, RN
A couple weeks after my son’s 4-year-old vaccines he started his 2-3 weeks cycle of fevers diagnosed as PFAPA. Before I knew better I pumped him full of Tylenol as this was the only remedy I could get as a suppository. I also now know that he is compound heterozygous MTHFR, so he really should not use Tylenol. I want to vomit when I think of what I did to him. I wish I had sought out the other remedies that I see parents using now. His doctors saw the severity in his case and pushed for a T&A. I also wish I had researched that more. Thank goodness he has been fever-free for 11 months now.
Where are your sources? There’s a lot of made up facts here.
The citations are HYPERLINKED in this POST in coral font. Nothing made up here (except the satire, which is all me).
Some people apparently don’t know how to read a blog post…”Gee, I wonder why there are random blue words in this article ?? … She must have done an amateur job at editing.”
These are all facts, and a wonderful, amazing article full of nothing but truth. Thank you for this article, from a mother whose child was murdered by J&J phantom recall (2008-2010) of infants and Children’s Tylenol.
Ok, I’m with you. So what do i reach for when my kid has double molars coming in and 2 Baltic Amber necklace just aren’t cutting it? He’s screaming in pain, and won’t chew when it’s hurting so bad.
Well according to mainstream you’re not allowed to use anything. I use homeopathic teething tablets, essential oils, and a cold wash cloth he can bite down on. I nurse more, hold more, and soothe more.
Your poor kiddo! Clove oil numbs the gums, you can make your own by buying cloves from the store and putting olove oil over the cloves and letting it sit. It gets more potent over time, and it works!
Laura, I shifted over to essential oils about 18 months ago and WOW what a life changing decision. We are healthier because of it and almost never use any OTC anything anymore. If you are interested in learning more about essential oils email me. [email protected]. I have tons of resources to share!!! Quality of oils and safety are highest priority!
If you research aspirin and Reyes Syndrome, it’s unbelievable that aspirin ever got put on the bad list. What I found while researching is that the chance of Reyes Syndrome is miniscule compared to the chance of vaccine induced autism. Yet, we’ve all been dutifully NOT giving aspirin to kids for 25 or 30 years. Hmmm….
“In 1977, 454 cases of Reye’s syndrome were reported in the United States.” https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/reyes-syndrome-a-rare-but-serious-pediatric-condition
Of how many total children? 65 Million American children were 17 and under in 1977. https://www.childstats.gov/AMERICASCHILDREN/tables/pop1.asp
That means 0.0007% of children had fell victim to Reyes Syndrome in 1977.
Compare this to the appallingly high rate of vaccine induced autism which affects 1 in 36 American children right now.
Before I knew better, I let me baby boy have a few of the vaccinations required prior to 12 months. AND gave him Tylenol afterwards when he got a fever as a result. Now I am worried this may have caused damage as he is a fairly hyper two year old. Too late to reverse any damage possibly done? You articles have truly enlightened me Megan and been eye openers. Thank you for all you do!
I’m a RN. DONT BELIEVE THIS ARTICLE OF MADE UP LIES.
Hi “Nurse,” exactly which citation are you referring to? Because there are a lot of nurses and physicians who read this blog who don’t agree with you. Bests, Megan
I was very surprised to read this article. I do not vaccinate any of my 3 children, we eat healthy the good majority of the time and I like to think we’re all in good conscious health. My obgyn would ONLY recommend tylenol when I was pregnant, he said anything with a spring would be harmful and I believed him. I give my kids tylenol for pretty much every fever or teething episode. I feel very on edge and misguided by my health care professionals after reading this article and intend on looking more into it. Thank you for sharing.
Anything with asprin**
Heather, your health care professionals have studied this stuff for years and practice every day. This is simply an article without a lot of credentials and was written with a lot of emotion. But you are smart to look into, just don’t discredit your doctors because of one article.
Hi LB, Can you clarify what “this stuff” is? Because doctors don’t study about the effects of Tylenol for years and they’ve been wrong on a LOT of things before – like x-rays for pregnant women, thalidomide, vioxx, safety of smoking, hand washing, the microbiome, I could go on and on and on. The citations are hyperlinked in this post (studies conducted by people with the credentials you hail) and Tylenol isn’t safe.
Megan, there are many errors in your article. Let’s go through them systematically:
“recommended by “experts” for every kid ailment known to man.” Not true. It;s recommended for pain or fever that causes significant discomfort.
“dangerous and doesn;t work”. For one of the most commonly used substances, it’s extremely safe (except in major overdoses), especially in children, and it is an effective relief for fever and mild to moderate pain.
“Tylenol is toxic and has a very narrow margin of error – meaning that taking the tiniest amount more than what’s needed could cause serious harm.” SERIOUSLY incorrect. A toxic dose of acetominophen for children is about 150-200 mg poer kg (ref http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/820200-overview) – this is more than TEN TIMES the therapeutic dose.
There is no mechanism for acetaminophen to be “neurotoxic” OR an “endocrine disruptor”. Your reference has been discredited: http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/1833483
Acetaminophen IS effective for mild pain. Your reference is a study of whether it improved ow-back pain long-term. A real study of efficacy is here:
http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/485730
The autism assertion has been discussed in another comment.
Acetaminophen is the major cause of liver failure in children IN MASSIVE OVERDOSE, and only because liver failure is rare in children – they don’t drink alcohol. For the number of doses used daily, all over the world, the incidence of liver failure is vanishingly small.
The reference you quote from the journal Autism 2008 is based on a parental survey – not any kind of controlled trial. ANother of your references says “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.” That says nothing about causation, and it is known that ibuprofen is a good antipyretic, but which causes more sife-effects than acetaminophen.
The additional ingredients in the tablet preparation are innocuous (although kids are generally given syrup). Just using chemical names isn’t scary – all substances are composed of chemicals.
In summary, your article contains a multitude of errors. It is preferable for someone without an understanding of pharmacology not to give public advice on medical matters to others.
Sue … I had to stop after your first two points when I realized you didn’t pick up on my satire.
For clarification purposes, I don’t give advice. I give my opinion and I 100% stand by it and my citations.
With respect,
Megan
I love you, Sue!
Yea my midwife said Tylenol while pregnant and Advil when nursing.
We don’t use meds a lot but when baby’s fevers get high ive heard to alternate Tylenol and Advil.
So because some stay at home mommy said Tylenol is bad you now feel misguided by the experts who spent YEARS training in exactly that field?? Please, trust your doctors, not a blogger on the internet with no medical training. Your statement is the equivalent of saying, “my electrician said the wiring is correct, but the pet store clerk said it’s wrong! I feel so betrayed!”
That was a bit rude…No, trust your gut as a Mom/Wife, Research & Pray…Doctors still only “practice medicine” and any good one will tell you that. You can use their knowledge and proceed from there. Penicillin was found by accident, life savers for some, killers for others..do not discredit one who researches for the good of her family and shares what she finds.
@Robert. You are mistaken. I pray to God that none of your loved ones pay the price for your ignorance.
@Tonya. Well said! God gave each Mom her instincts, which He gave to every living creature He created, in fact. They are there for a reason; many reasons, even. So you are right-on when you mention that Moms should listen to their guts.
Penicillin– it is a perfect example. It has indeed, saved thousands of lives, yet also has the ability to take the lives of others. It is the same thing in each case- just what it is- penicillin. However due to the genetic differences with each of us, along with other differences in our biology- each human responds somewhat differently to the same substance. Studies can show what happened in a number of cases, but we have to realize they are just case studies, and none of them can ever say they represent every single person on the planet.
God-given gut instinct, knowledge, personal experience, experiences of our loved ones, etc. on and on the list goes… We have to take everything into account in order to make the best decision we can as Moms. I personally appreciate someone who will step out and attempt to help others by sharing their personal knowledge and experience, because often, that is the most powerful advantage we have to making the best choices.
Thank you, Megan, for being willing to stick your neck out, and take the abuse that many folks have dished out, and for remaining strong, steady and unwavering throughout it all. That takes all kinds of guts. You are a special person, and I am so grateful for your willingness to share via this blog. Ive learned SO much! Please continue your work. God uses it, I would guess– daily!
Go away troll!!!
In 1977, there were 454 cases of Reyes Syndrome in America. There were 65 million children 17 and under in America that same year. 0.0007% of children fell victim to Reyes Syndrome in 1977. (see sources in my other comments on this page)
Compare this to the rate of vaccine induced autism which affects 1 in 36 American children right now.
Why is aspirin considered unsafe for children but vaccines are safe? Hmmmm….