Many times when you visit a doctor, your prescription will be simple and typical. Physicians regularly tell patients to just take some Tylenol, Motrin, or Asprin, or another over the counter pain reliever that is easy to obtain. Yet too many of these prescriptions can result in disasters. For example, in 2009 a middle-aged man with the initials A.B. came down with the flu. As would be typical, A.B. began taking Tylenol to soothe the aches and pains accompanying his sickness. He used the prescribed dosage, and did not abuse the pills. Yet tragically, within days A.B. was in a coma in a hospital, awaiting a much-needed liver transplant.

What happened to cause such a drastic downward spiral in A.B.'s health? According to the Food and Drug Administration, A.B. is just one of the many Americans who experience acute liver failure as a result of taking acetaminophen. Acetaminophen is the most common painkiller in the nation, and is used to remedy everything from aching muscles to a headache or toothache. Doctors often promote the use of medications with acetaminophen as the main ingredient. Through an unintentional overdose of this painkiller, patients may threaten their own health. A further research study by the FDA showed that combining alcohol with this pain killer may raise the possibility of liver damage.

The FDA has issued a warning, pleading with doctors to use stronger warnings when prescribing Tylenol, and to use stricter dose limits. The FDA suggests that the typical adult take no more than 3,250 milligrams of acetaminophen a day, regardless of the fact that most doctors set the limit at 4,000 milligrams. The FDA also wants doctors to severely limit the amount of Tylenol that can be issued to young children. A Tylenol executive issued in a statement that said that many people overdose on the medication every year, some intentional and others on accident. Those who overdose on accident are normally unaware that they should be abiding by a certain limit, and will take as much Tylenol as they believe is necessary to make them feel better.

Representatives at Tylenol suggest that people always read the warning labels on the back of the Tylenol container to gain more information about the health risks of taking this painkiller. Tylenol isn't the only medication that can cause this acute liver failure. According to ABC News, Vicodin contains high amounts of acetaminophen, and may also prove to be a dangerous substance. Taking these medications while fasting can heighten the possibility of a liver failure. In order to keep people from unintentionally overdosing on acetaminophen medication, they need to be aware of the limits. Doctors need to carefully instruct patients as to how much medication to take and when to take it.

Sometimes unintentional overdoses happen because the patient is already sick and does not notice the side effects of too much medication. There are other dangers to taking too much acetaminophen. Tylenol is known to cause a loss of hearing in the future. If a doctor failed in inform you of the dangers of acetaminophen as a liver toxin, or made a mistake when prescribing the medication to you, and you overdosed, then you may be able to press medical malpractice charges. Doctors need to make your dosages clear, and make sure that you will not be affected negatively by the medication. If you drink alcohol, or are currently fasting, and have been issued an acetaminophen drug, then you are at an even greater risk to liver failure by this drug. Make sure to talk with your physician and a medical malpractice attorney if you believe that you are suffering at a medical person's expense.