Acetaminophen, most commonly sold under the brand name Tylenol, is one of the most popular over-the-counter medications ever sold. In fact, 52 million Americans reach for a bottle of Tylenol every week to knock out aches and pains.1
And most people have a bottle tucked away in a desk drawer or their purse.
And that’s not a bad thing. There’s no problem taking an occasional tablet or two if you have a headache or slight fever.
In fact, Tylenol is considered the safest drug ever sold. More Tylenol tablets have been taken since it came out in 1955 than there are grains of sand in the world.
I tell my patients that the pills inside this little red and white bottle can do more than just knock out your headaches. So even though it’s okay to take on occasion, I help my patients knock out aches and pains with natural remedies… ones that are safe for your whole body.
You see, each little dose of Tylenol puts a tiny, infinitesimal toxic burden on your liver. Because some people have taken it over a long period of time, this toxic build-up in our bodies keeps growing.
By now, you probably already know about acetaminophen’s connection to liver damage.
In fact, this “harmless” drug is responsible for:2,3
- 100,000 calls to Poison Control Centers across the country
- 80,000 emergency room visits every year
- 26,000 hospitalizations
- 500 deaths
This can happen even when you take Tylenol for just a few weeks at the recommended dosage.
Most times, people don’t recognize the signs of liver damage brought on by acetaminophen because they take a while to appear. Or the symptoms are mistaken for something else, like the flu.
Early symptoms are loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. More serious symptoms are abdominal pain, convulsions, diarrhea, irritability, jaundice and coma.
Liver damage can turn into liver failure in just one day.
Sad thing is, the FDA knew about acetaminophen’s liver danger since 1977. But it took almost 40 years before the agency demanded a warning be added to the drug label.
But there’s more to this dangerous OTC drug than liver damage…
Each year up to 65,000 Americans die from taking painkillers — including the over-the-counter ones. And, a recent review of more than 1,800 studies showed that regular use of acetaminophen increases your risk of mortality by a whopping 60%!4
When my patients tell me they take a painkiller like Tylenol once, twice and even three times a day, I tell them there are natural solutions for pain that are not only safer, but way more effective.
I’ve never been a fan of using daily doses of drugs to prevent disease. Especially when there are safe, natural alternatives.
Soothe Away Pain and Keep Your Liver Healthy with 3 Natural Remedies
Three of my favorite natural pain relievers have been used for centuries… and in some cases, even longer. They will help you soothe away your aches, move more easily and get back to a more pain-free life.
- Use the original aspirin. White willow bark was the “first” aspirin. Like its name suggests, this natural pain reliever comes from the bark of a tree native to Europe and Asia.
Its use dates back to ancient Egypt. Even Hippocrates, the “Father of Medicine,” gave it to his patients to reduce inflammation.
The reason white willow bark works is that it contains salicin. It’s the exact same compound found in aspirin. It’s just nature’s version of it.
Studies show it not only relieves arthritis pain but also increases mobility in the back, knees, hips and other joints.5 And a study in the American Journal of Medicine found it effective for lower back pain.6
White willow bark won’t upset your stomach like aspirin might. You can find white willow bark extract in health food stores or online.
I recommend 240 mg per day.
- Ease pain with arnica. When I sometimes have pain from old injuries, I apply a yellow herb known as arnica or wolf’s bane. If willow isn’t working for you the way you expect, consider arnica. It’s an anti-inflammatory that can relieve chronic joint pain.
Plus it has a healing compound called thymol. This stimulates your white blood cells to get rid of extra fluid trapped in your joints. The excess fluid that causes swelling. After the swelling goes down, your body takes over and can finish the healing process better.
One study looked at 204 people with osteoarthritis in their hands. It found that people who used arnica gel experienced just as much relief as the group that took an OTC painkiller — but without the side effects. In another study, 79 people with arthritis in their knees used arnica gel. They felt less pain and stiffness and had a better range of motion.8
- Use every part of the pineapple. Pineapple is good for us, in general, but I recommend pineapple as an add-on for natural pain relief if willow and arnica aren’t doing enough for you.
One of the reasons why I like pineapple is because it has an enzyme called bromelain that stops aches and pains. In fact, studies show bromelain is as effective as some commonly used NSAID drugs for lowering osteoarthritis pain.
Researchers studied patients living with the chronic pain of osteoarthritis. They gave one group an enzyme compound with 90 mg of bromelain. The other group took a prescription anti-inflammatory.
Bromelain was just as effective as Big Pharma’s darling without the side effects.
Another study showed that bromelain was even effective at easing the pain, tenderness and swelling of an acute injury.9
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
1. Consumer Healthcare Products Association. “Acetominophen.” www.chpa.org/Acetaminophen.aspx. Accessed May 7, 2018.
2. Nourjah P, et al. “Estimates of acetaminophen (Paracetomal)-associated overdoses in the United States.” Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2006;15(6):398-405.
3. Dimitropoulos E and Ambizas E. “Acetaminophen toxicity: What pharmacists need to know.” US Pharm. 2014;39(3):HS2-HS8.
4. Thompson D. “Does long-term acetaminophen use raise health risks?” Health Day. March 2, 2015.
5. Tunon H, et al. “Evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity of some Swedish medicinal plants. Inhibition of prostaglandin biosynthesis and PAF-induced exocytosis.” J Ethnopharmacol. 1995;48(2):61-76.
6. Chrubasik S, et al. “Treatment of low back pain exacerbations with willow bark extract: A randomized double-blind study.” Am J Med. 2000;109(1):9-14.
7. Widrig R, et al. “Choosing between NSAID and arnica for topical treatment of hand osteoarthritis in a randomised, double-blind study.” Rheumatol Int. 2007;27(6):585-589.
8. Knuesel O, et al. “Arnica montana gel in osteoarthritis of the knee: An open, multicenter clinical trial.” Adv Ther. 2002;19(5):209-218.
9. Brien S, et al. “Bromelain as a treatment for osteoarthritis: A review of clinical studies.” Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2004;1(3):251-257.