dr_pretentious | What the Label Really Means, or Rough Weather Ahead

"If condition persists, consult your doctor." Straightforward, right? No, not so much. Apparently, if you follow the dosing instructions on a bottle of Extra Strength Tylenol for any prolonged period of time--like, say, three months--you can tox out your liver. Apparently, the doctors who told me that tylenol would do just fine, now that I can't take ibuprofen or any of its NSAID cousins, never considered the possibility that I'd try the extra-strength tylenol. Considering that most people with the chronic pain diagnosis I have take opiates as daily maintenance drugs, I don't know why it didn't occur to them that I'd choose the stronger over-the-counter version over the weaker one. As far as I knew, I had consulted my doctor.

So now, until the bloodwork says my liver is happy, no more painkillers for little me. At all.

Maybe the lab will have something nice to say about my blood, and I'll be in the clear.

Just in case, though, I figured I'd give y'all a heads-up. I may be less useful than usual for a little while. As I discovered back in November, asking for help isn't the end of the world. (Who knew?) It's possible I might have to do that again.