Extra Strength Tylenol Dosage Reduced to Prevent Acetaminophen Overdose

By Charmaine Gooden

Pharma-giant Johnson & Johnson has announced plans to immediately lower the maximum recommended dosage on Extra-Strength Tylenol from eight pills (4,000 milligrams) to six pills (3,000 milligrams) a day. It plans to lower the maximum recommended dosage on regular Tylenol and other acetaminophen-containing products for adults starting in 2012.

The key ingredient in Tylenol is acetaminophen, but it’s also the key ingredient in over 600 other medications you might be taking like Nyquil, Sudafed, and Alka-Seltzer. In some cases, people are unknowingly mixing these medications and unknowingly overdosing on acetaminophen.

Excessive use of acetaminophen can cause liver damage and even prove fatal. The change is intended to help encourage appropriate acetaminophen use and reduce the risk of accidental overdose.