I'm not sure the Tylenol killings have much relevancy here. They were the work of a sociopath who was never caught or identified. The Tylenol didn't kill. It was the cyanide added to it. The drug maker's response was unprecedented. They recalled nearly every bottle of Tylenol capsules still on shelves and told people NOT to use their product. They withdrew they openable capsules from the market (introducing caplets), and instituted new packaging safety protocols, which is why it is now unbelievably hard to doctor a bottle of OTC medicine. Tylenol's response has been called a model of corporate responsibility and they won back their customers by their actions.

All drugs have side effects and risks. The chemistry of the human body is complicated. Some side effects take years to manifest. Lab mice testing is great, but lab mice don't have the same genetic variability as humans.

The real question is... who knew what when. If there is a test issue, the government needs to be taken to task as to why they did not require these tests.

If J&J knew about this issue years ago - they should be severely penalized.

Funny cause that's supposedly the worst one of them all... Take it you missed the big deal they made about it in the news a year or so ago linking naproxen sodium to increased risk of heart attacks.

Take it you missed the recent major study done in Denmark that shows naproxen is actually the only NSAID to be neutral with regard to cardiac side effects when taken at directed doses.

Naproxen (Aleve) gave me Migrain headaches when I took it for carpel-tunnel, go figure. Everyone is different so what helps one person may cause problems for another, you just have to decide for yourself what works for you and/or your family members. What works for you may not be the best for your spouse or kids.

I TOTALLY agree. I've said it before and I'll say it again. How can you publish studies like this and in the same breath caution people that more research needs to be done???!! Irresponsible is right. I blame Reuters as much as I blame the researchers themselves. If more research needs to be done, then DO IT BEFORE you release the study. This stuff drives me nuts. My three little kids will take tylenol tonight if they get a fever. That much I will tell you. Stop the alarmist reporting

I'd be interested to know about the environment the test subjects were in. How many of them are in big cities with pollution problems? How many live in homes with adults who smoke? How many live near active construction? How long did they spend in a moving car, in traffic?

Fact is, our world is more polluted now more than ever - our air, our water, our soil, our food. There are so many missing elements in this study that it can't be taken too seriously.

Exactly. Although it is difficult to tell from the poor reporting, this "study" seems to be nothing more than a collection of anecdotes.

There is no evidence of a multi-variable regression being done to establish any robust correlation, no evidence of statistical significance. Even if you had both those things, you would still need some evidence that the causation runs from the tylenol to the asthma rather than vice-versa.

Don't agree. So, if the case were that later Tylenol comes out and says, "we have found 'after' extensive research that our product causes asthma"...you wouldn't be asking, "why didn't they tell us sooner that it was even being considered and investigated as a cause for asthma...we could have avoided it if we chose to before you released your findings"...and let the class action suits begin. Some of you are NEVER happy. I for one as a parent of school aged children am satisfied with knowing the "potential risk" exists and will weigh the "possible risks" associated with the use of Tylenol vs. using something else in the interim that will do the same thing i.e. Ibuprofen (which in a lot of cases is a more effective fever reducer anyway) and wait for the final results. I don't consider this report irresponsible at all. Its informing the public about potential risks found with a widely used drug that many of us take.

Actually, at that age Tylenol is probably more often used for teething pain than for fevers.

Unless your baby winds up with chronic ear infections like mine. Then it's used for both, coupled with Ibuprofen. This is good info to know, but it won't stop me from giving my daughter either Tylenol or Motrin if she needs it.

Thank you for voicing my feelings exactly! How can you publish this when it didn't prove anything? Isn't it possible that the kids who were sick more often as children (and needed a pain-killer or fever reducer) are more likely to continue to have poor health and develop asthma?!! I wonder if this article was written by someone who has an interest in seeing ibuprofen out-sell Tylenol.

When my child was 6 months old, he received a flu shot at his check-up. The next day he stopped breathing. After a trip to the hospital and later to the pediatrician, we were given instructions to give a dose of Tylenol, 2 hours later give a dose of Motrin, 2 hours after this rotate back and forth from Tylenol to Motrin. We were to do this for at least 24 hours. This was because he had a very high fever due to the allergic reaction. About 105 degrees Fahrenheit. We were glad he lived through the ordeal and decided no flu shots for our children. About a year after this, our son was diagnosed with Asthma. We find this study very interesting, since we have already wondered if that allergic reaction had something to do with his Asthma.

On a side note, we didn't like the idea of giving singulair and albuterol to our child, especially since his symptoms continued to stay the same. We opted for chiropractic care, which wasn't covered by our insurance, versus the medication which was. After a year of treatment we are happy to report that his asthma hasn't been a big issue. When he was first diagnosed, he would wake up every night with attacks, and anytime he ran around the house it would end in a big attack, even while on his medication. After his Chiropractor treatment he is now able to sleep and run with no problem. We do use the medicine on occasion when he has a cold, but other than that he is medicine free.

Thank you for publishing this article. We also live in a very rural environment, with no smokers or pets in the home. After almost losing our 1st child to the advice of medical professionals, we carefully review all information available before we make our decisions.

Irresponsible reporting? Give me a break.

We give our kids Tylenol for fever and will continue to do so. But as responsible parents who now understand that there MAY be a previously unknown risk associated with Tylenol thanks to this study and this report, we'll be more careful with it in the future.

If you ignore this information, the only one whose irresponsible is you.

Careful people, studies like this can be very useful. Although it only points to a correlation, it does give direction to future studies which can save a lot of time and effort in research, it happens all the time in science and is an important part of it.

That said, it's too bad you can't read the entire study. It'd be interesting to see if they recorded the demographics of the subjects and what they were other than just Ethiopian.

Mitchell

You must not understand how science works. Science does not know all of the answers so it collects data, and analyzes it. It is published in peer review journals. Then, the run of the mill reporter "reports" the story and the layman reads it. If you can't accept a basic systematic approach to gaining an understanding of drugs and what their usage(s) may result it, I suggest you stop taking medicine all together.

You remind me of the same people who cried when a study stated that, based on the data it collected, mammograms should not, as a matter of habit, be given to women under the age of 40. It was a cost benefit analysis, in many ways; the amount of radiation seemed to out way the statistical chance of cancer detection with this method, whether or not the cancer is present notwithstanding (even if it was there, it wasn't all that probable to be detected in under 40 women). People blabbered on and on...when all they were was ignorant of how science works. Likely no real fault of their own -- the media does a horrible job (this article was [a] case in point). At the same time, books do exist and it's quite easy to turn of American idol for an hour and read one.

If you think it's worthless based on you own lack of capacity to execute a new cost benefit analysis, with this additional information added, that is no fault of science -- but of your own.

Where in nature do you find aspirin??? It is a manufactured drug like acetaminophen. Please get your facts straight before commenting.

Well, it is not specifically in nature, but people for centuries chewed willow and other bark to get the salicylic acid, which is very close to aspirin...

Gary beat me to it.

Not man-made... LMAO! Wow... So do they grow on trees or in the ground??? LOL!

More than likely, Shawn is referring to the original source of aspirin being natural. The inner bark of several different trees including aspens and willows were used to harvest salicin, although you are correct as well since todays aspirin is synthetically produced so really not all that natural.

Well, giving a kid aspirin can cause all manner if complications. parents are told not to give their young ones aspirin, in fact.

This report is just one of those that gets people worried, without the study being confirmed as accurate. Much more study needs to be done. Must be a slow news day, for this to be included in the news. J&J/McNeil is a real stand up company and usually goes the extra mile if they even think something is not perfect with one of their brands. The recall years ago is a perfect example of how serious they take their business.

Also, Tylenol is the only formulation of pain reliever that is ok to use when you are taking aspirin for heart disease related issues. the other stuff on the market will not interact well with aspirin. All in all Tylenol is a great product. and NO, I don't work for the company or have family members that do.

Yes aspirin was actually discovered in willow bark. So yes it can be natural. Just because it is made synthetically now does not mean that the original was not natural.

Some 80% of ALL drugs are derived from nature.

Was a show on 20/20, Dateline, etc with a person [chemist] who makes a living going around and finding all kinds of flowers, leaves, bark, etc and figuring out what is in it and what that may be good for.

Then they sell the Imaginary Property rights of "said discovery" to the big Pharma's so they can mass produce that chemical.

Only problem here.........exactly the other mixtures and binding chemicals in nature are not what come out of a bottle

Remember.....a patient cured is a customer lost.

So be sure to call you doctor at 2am and tell him you saw a hollywood star on TV who said you should call to see if you should take more H20.

This article left me no choice but to self-medicate with a couple Tylenol's to stop my head from spinning!

Aside from providing basically useless information, the article concludes with the quote that parents can "go for either" (ibuprofen or acetaminophen) when medicating their children.

I also must question why the test subjects were given a specific brand of acetaminophen - TYLENOL - and yet in the article/study, it appears the ibuprofen was 'generic', with no mention of a specific brand such as Advil.

Who funded this study anyway? Pharmas that manufacture ibuprofen?

If you read again they did say Advil.

The results of this study could easily and validly have been interpreted as kids that get sick more often (and who are thus coincidently given Tylenol more often) wheeze more often. There is not cause for concern here. This work has not been verified and this is not life and death stuff. But there is cause to design a better, blinded study with placebo controls and better data collection methods.

People have wondered for years why there seems to be a rising incidence of asthma. It would be neat if this were the answer.

I think (though I'm not a doctor, I am a chemist working in biotech/pharma) that ibuprofen is solely a pain-reliever while acetominophen is an anti-inflammatory. That's why acetominophen is indicated to reduce pain, fevers, and likely the inflammed lung tissue associated with asthma. An allergist would know way more about this....

MmmMmmBeer, acetaminophen is NOTan anti-inflammatory. NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatorys) include Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Naloxone. NSAIDS treat inflammation. This is common knowledge in the medical field.

Acetaminophen does not treat inflammation, it treats pain and fever.

As I said, not a doctor. That's just what I've always heard when I was sick, thanks for clearing that up. However a quick search reveals that acetominophen is often classified as an NSAID as well with limited anti-inflammatory properties:

"The classification of paracetamol (acetaminophen), and the terminology used to refer to it, can cause confusion. It is often classified as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), but paracetamol has few anti-inflammatory effects in many tissues. However, aspirin, paracetamol and other NSAIDs all act by the same mechanism (inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis) and all show varying levels of analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and antiplatelet actions.^{[11]" Byrant, Bronwen and Knights, Katleen. Pharmacology for Health Professionals. s.l. : Elsevier, 2007, p. 270.}

By the way, can you provide any insight into the original question or do you just take pride in proving other people wrong?

The reason ibuprofen is a worry in people with asthma is the possibility of Samter's triad. It includes asthma, nasal polyps, and sensitivity to aspirin. The aspirin sensitivity has recently also been applied to NSAIDS. (naproxyn, ibuprofen, and COX II inhibitors) Many people have asthma-like symptoms but have no problems with aspirin or NSAIDS. Just be aware and looking for reactions, as they can develop later in life. No worries about your childs asthma reacting with Aspirin because you shouldn't be using it unless under constant monitering by a physician because of the risk of Rye's syndrome.

As for Acetaminophen (APAP), it inhibits prostoglandins centrally, while NSAIDS function peripherally. As for platelet aggregation, the effect of APAP is poorly understood because it is only recently that the effect was identified, and that it is absolutly dose related. (keep in mind high dose APAP is a leading cause of liver damage resulting in the FDA changing recommendations for post-op pain treatment) Aspirin and NSAIDS react differently. Aspirin causes permanent damage to the platelet to affect aggregation. NSAIDS effect is transient on the individual platelet.

I noticed that the study was conducted in Ethiopia and happened to wonder why - no chemically treated water? Was the study population in an area that had relatively low airborne pollution? Was there something about the location and population that rendered this study somehow more effective? There are too many questions here that have been posed by the article and not addressed effectively.

And the type of reporting that has spurred tons of just awful public policy.

Asthma is considered an allergic reaction. Some people can be more or less reactive (their inmune systems) to different factors. If your daughter had some inmune hypersensibility to a vaccine/some of the products on that vaccine, it means that her inmune system may act up to other allergens. Not necesarilly a Tylenol related reaction, it could be to so many different things, from mites to air pollutants like paint solvents, etc. As per any allergic reaction, you need to be exposed at least a couple times to whatever it is one can be allergic to. The first time your inmune system acquires the allergen and designs a response to it, and "memorizes" that response. the next time your body is exposed to that same allergen it may react, producing what is known as an allergic reaction. That reaction can happen anytime in your life,though, may not be the second time or 10th, but the 11th,in any case, the condition of "after a first exposure" is the important one. (inmune hypersensibility=allergy)

We're still trying to figure it out actually. We have her on singulair but it's not working. We have an air purifier in the room that runs 24/7 and we clean out her nose each morning/night but still she wakes up coughing and trying to catch her breath. It's really heart-breaking.

Please you are a fool. If you don't want to vaccinate your children that's your choice and too bad for your kids. However please don't post foolish, uneducated remarks telling parents not to vaccinate. The FACT is there is no link between vaccinations and autism. Only parents trying to rationalize an answer and trial lawyers think there is any link.

They did not say that use of Tylenol caused it, they only pointed out a correlation. There's a difference between correlation and causation.

For vaccines, yes, there is a correlation, if fact nearly everyone agrees there is a correlation, however no causation has been found. Onset of autism happens at the same time vaccines are given. However to simply say that it does cause autism, it would be akin to saying that increased ice cream sales cause more drownings. It's not true, instead it's just a correlation because both happen during summer, more ice cream is bought and more people go play in the water because it's hot out.

And there have been studies done, so far most of them have found no causation, with the rest being inconclusive. There's been a handful that do blame vaccines, however other scientists have either found poor testing methodologies, or that results were fudged in them. And with this one you can't blame "big pharma" or government corruption because these studies have been happening around the world through various organizations. Bottom line is that they have researched this and are still researching it. A link may eventually be found, I'm not at all saying one won't be, however as research continues, it's pointing more and more towards a combination of genetics and environmental with vaccines being a tenuous link at best.

Mitchell

Just in case, I'm planting a willow tree in my yard this weekend.

And I believe the doctor that conducted that study lost his license to practice didn't he?

Another Ignorant statement telling parents to vaccinate their children. According to all research gathered by The Centers for Disease Control as well as The World Health Organization The More Mandated Vaccines required by any country, the HIGHER the Mortality rates in children 5 and under. Research from both agencies show that Following the 2002 mandate for Flu shots in children 5 and under the rate of Flu Deaths in Children 5 and under Tripled. Do your homework. There are far too many Ignorant people out there screaming, "Please Vaccinate your Children" that don't know a thing about the research. As a Doctor I'm amazed that the children in my practice that are not vaccinated are MUCH healthier than those who have been. The opinions of far too many that just say Vaccinate, Vaccinate, Vaccinate are irresponsible and ignorant. It's time to wake up!!! Mercury is one of the most toxic elements on the planet and we think its OK to inject that into our children? Ignorant! How about the rest of the ingredients found in a vaccine? Should we shoot Phenol(Antifreeze) and Aluminum into our kids? Ignorant!There are more Carcinogens in a vaccine than a child could ever face in nature and they are all injected directly into their bloodstream. Ignorant!Vaccines are dangerous and HAVE NOT been proven to be effective scientifically. I would suggest you do some more research before you join the Parade of Igorance in US Health Care, The Most Vaccinated and yet One of The Sickest Industrialized Countries in the world.