FDA Acetaminophen Warning: Only 107 Cases In Over 45 Years, Now A Warning Comes Out About That Could Cause Deadly Skin Disease

FDA acetaminophen warning about what could lead to a deadly skin disease that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration added the Stevens-Johnson Syndrome to a list of the side effects from the acetaminophen pill.

Acetaminophen is also known as paracetamol and it is classified as a mild analgesic. It is commonly used for the relief of headaches and other minor aches and pains and is a major ingredient in numerous cold and flu remedies. In combination with opioid analgesics, paracetamol can also be used in the management of more severe pain such as post-surgical pain and providing palliative care in advanced cancer patients, according to National Health Service that the FDA warning has come about.

 There has been 107 cases of the side effects from the acetaminophen since 1969 and the FDA puts out a warning now.

"This new information is not intended to worry consumers or health care professionals, nor is it meant to encourage them to choose other medications," Dr. Sharon Hertz, deputy director of FDA's Division of Anesthesia, Analgesia and Addiction, said in a statement. "However, it is extremely important that people recognize and react quickly to the initial symptoms of these rare but serious, side effects, which are potentially fatal."

Brand-name drugs like Tylenol and Midol as well as the makers of generic acetaminophen-containing drugs will have to update their packaging with black box warnings - the strongest form of a drug warning, used to call attention to serious risks, according to ABC News.

"FDA's actions should be viewed within the context of the millions who, over generations, have benefited from acetaminophen," Hertz said. "Nonetheless, given the severity of the risk, it is important for patients and health care providers to be aware of it."

The Stevens-Johnson Syndrome will be a part of the warning label and other side effects. "There is currently no way of predicting who might be at higher risk," the agency said in a statement.

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