Study Links Side Effects of Tylenol, Acetaminophen to Increased Ulcer Risks

For decades, Tylenol and other acetaminophen-based pain medications have been widely used, and believed to be safe for stomachs. However, a new study raises concerns that those beliefs may be unfounded, and adds to a number of potentially serious side effects of Tylenol uncovered in recent years.

In addition to Tylenol, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indicates that there are more than 600 medications, both prescription and non-prescription, that contain acetaminophen, which is used as a fever reducer and to provide relief from pain caused by headaches, muscle aches, menstrual periods, sore throats, toothaches and back pain.

Since the medication is believed to generally be safe for the stomach, Tylenol has been used as a “first-line” painkiller for long-term conditions among older patients. However, in new findings published last month in the medical journal Arthritis Care & Research, a team of U.K. researchers raised concerns about this practice.

The researchers indicate that since acetaminophen is only minimally effective, doctors should carefully consider use of the drug among older people, warning that it could result in a number of adverse health consequences, including chronic kidney disease, heart failure and high blood pressure, as well as increasing the risk of ulcers or other types of lower gastrointestinal bleeding by almost 40%.

For the new study, researchers from the University of Nottingham looked at 20 years of data on nearly 600,000 patients from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink-Gold.

The study was led by Dr. Jaspreet Kaur, involving data on 180,483 participants who used acetaminophen, and 402,478 who did not. All participants were at least 65 years of age between the years of 1998 and 2018.

According to the findings, Tylenol or acetaminophen use was associated with a 24% increased risk of peptic ulcer bleeding, a 20% increased risk of uncomplicated peptic-ulcers, and a 36% increased risk of lower gastrointestinal bleeding. In addition, the data revealed a 19% increased risk of chronic kidney disease, and less than 10% increased risks for heart failure and hypertension.

“Despite its perceived safety, acetaminophen is associated with several serious complications,” the researchers concluded. “Given its minimal analgesic effectiveness, the use of acetaminophen as the first-line oral analgesic for long-term conditions in older people requires careful reconsideration.”

Tylenol Health Concerns

The findings are the latest to question the safety of Tylenol and acetaminophen just this year alone.

In February, the FDA warned consumers about the risks of acetaminophen overdose, which has been identified as a leading cause for liver injury in the United States. Previous studies have indicated that it causes an estimated 50,000 emergency room visits each year, including 25,000 hospitalizations and more than 450 deaths.

In addition, acetaminophen has been linked to dangerous skin reactions, like Stephens-Johnson Syndrome, which can cause the skin to separate from the body and result in fatal complications. In 2014, the FDA issued a draft guidance calling for new label warnings for Tylenol and other acetaminophen drugs due to the risks of SJS, which is often referred to as toxic epidermal necrosis (TEN) when legions cover large portions of the body. This June, the FDA proposed making the label warnings mandatory. That proposal is still awaiting final approval.

Until recently, Tylenol manufacturer Johnson & Johnson also faced hundreds of lawsuits alleging that taking acetaminophen during pregnancy increased the risk of children being born with autism or ADHD. However, most of that litigation ended after a federal judge dismissed the plaintiffs’ expert witnesses, leaving them no way to prove causation.