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Is acetaminophen the chicken or the egg?

Written by amy on December 20th, 2011

The incidence of childhood asthma has been on a sharp rise over the past thirty years and a new paper published in the journal Pediatrics has turned attention to acetaminophen as a possible culprit. Researchers first began looking at acetaminophen in relation to asthma when the increase in asthma was noted to coincide with the time when researchers found that aspirin was linked to Reye’s syndrome and doctors thus began recommending acetaminophen to their patients.  In this recent paper, multiple studies are mentioned which all found an increased risk of asthma among children who had taken acetaminophen.  The author suggests
that acetaminophen drives or worsens asthma due to the medications effect on glutathione.  Glutathione is an enzyme that helps repair damage in the airways, lessening inflammation. Acetaminophen reduces the body’s level of this enzyme.

Despite the suggestive evidence, researchers still caution against pointing fingers at acetaminophen.  It remains difficult to determine if acetaminophen itself is responsible or if there are other factors at play.  For example, the medicine is taken for a fever and fevers are often caused by viral infections which have also been shown to be associated with the development of asthma.  So was it the viral infection or
the acetaminophen or something entirely different?

Bottom line: Be aware of this suggested associated and watch for future findings.  Until then, discuss with your physician if ibuprofen would be an acceptable alternative, particularly if your child has asthma or is at an increased risk for asthma.  For parents that choose to continue to use acetaminophen, experts suggest using it sparingly and as directed.  Acetaminophen is intended for very high fevers and major pain relief, not for minor aches or pain preventative measures such as when having an immunization.

 

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