Becky, you say that "It is important to note that kids under 12 should NOT be given adult Tylenol." Is this really an age issue? What if a child under 12 has a height and weight that is consistent with that of an adult? Thanks.
Tami -- honestly, Tylenol (specifically, the drug -- acetaminophen) is the one drug that I truly believe should be taken as directed. And even kids <12 who are as tall as and weigh as much as adults should not take an adult dose. Long story short -- as acetaminophen is metabolized by the body it can cause acute liver toxicity (making it really easy to overdose on) or chronic liver damage. One of the byproducts of metabolism is a toxic substance. If you take too much or your liver is not mature enough to metabolize the drug properly, damage can be done to the liver. It is the one over the counter drug that makes me nervous. On the flipside, a larger kid could easily take an adult advil (based on size and weight) because ibuprofen is easily metabolized and does not have a toxic byproduct. It really is Tylenol. More to come in a future post.
Becky, you say that "It is important to note that kids under 12 should NOT be given adult Tylenol." Is this really an age issue? What if a child under 12 has a height and weight that is consistent with that of an adult? Thanks.
Tami -- honestly, Tylenol (specifically, the drug -- acetaminophen) is the one drug that I truly believe should be taken as directed. And even kids <12 who are as tall as and weigh as much as adults should not take an adult dose. Long story short -- as acetaminophen is metabolized by the body it can cause acute liver toxicity (making it really easy to overdose on) or chronic liver damage. One of the byproducts of metabolism is a toxic substance. If you take too much or your liver is not mature enough to metabolize the drug properly, damage can be done to the liver. It is the one over the counter drug that makes me nervous. On the flipside, a larger kid could easily take an adult advil (based on size and weight) because ibuprofen is easily metabolized and does not have a toxic byproduct. It really is Tylenol. More to come in a future post.
Thanks, Becky!