How does an Overdose of Acetaminophen Cause Liver Damage?
The popular painkiller acetaminophen is primarily metabolized by the liver. When taken in recommended dosages, even long-term acetaminophen use is considered generally safe. However, when too much acetaminophen is taken at one time, it can saturate and overwhelm the liver’s sulphation and glucuronidation pathways. When this happens, your body attempts to process acetaminophen through the cytochrome P-45 system. There, the P-450 system forms the metabolite NAPQI, a toxic compound that is rendered harmless by your body’s glutathione system.
Under normal circumstances, your glutathione system detoxifies NAPQI and eliminates it from your body. When your glutathione system is overwhelmed by NAPQI, the toxic compound accumulates in the liver, causing severe damage.
Liver damage from acetaminophen occurs when the glutathione pathway is overwhelmed by too much of acetaminophen’s metabolite, NAPQI. When this happens, the accumulation of acetaminophen is not eliminated from the body, resulting in serious damage to your liver.
According to the FDA, accidental overdose of acetaminophen results in over 800 cases of liver damage in the United States every year. The resulting medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering can overwhelm your family in the same way acetaminophen overwhelms your liver.
If you or a loved one has incurred liver damage due to an accidental overdose of acetaminophen, you may have a right to seek compensation for your damages. The Baltimore pharmaceutical injury lawyers at the Yost Legal Group will fight aggressively to ensure your rights are protected and you receive the compensation you deserve.
Please contact the Baltimore, Maryland personal injury attorneys at the Yost Legal Group to schedule an initial consultation today.
This entry was posted on Monday, March 26th, 2012 at 2:51 pm and is filed under Defective Products. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
