On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that acetaminophen is causing rare, but dangerous skin reactions in some people.
The popular pain-killing medication is linked to three skin diseases with symptoms that range from rash and blisters to more extensive damage to tissues under the skin. The two most serious skin conditions are Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), which will typically require hospitalization and can be fatal. The less dangerous skin disease is acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP), which usually resolves itself within two weeks once acetaminophen is stopped.
Many of the reactions start with flu-like symptoms of fever and muscle aches, which are followed by rash, blistering and sloughing off of the outside of the skin, which can expose patients to potentially fatal infections. It’s possible for victims to experience scarring, skin pigment changes, blindness and organ damage. The recovery can take weeks or months. The FDA says anyone who is taking acetaminophen and is experiencing skin symptoms, should stop taking it immediately.
Read more:
http://healthland.time.com/2013/08/02/acetaminophen-linked-to-fatal-skin-reactions/#ixzz2aqp2Vzrj
