Acetaminophen is commonly known by the trade name Tylenol and is also listed in medications as APAP or paracetamol. Acetaminophen is a component of many prescription and over-the-counter medications including commonly prescribed drugs such as Darvoct, Percocet and Vicodin. The maximum recommended dose of acetaminophen for an adult is 4000 mgs per day. However, many people do not realize that acetaminophen is a component of several medications that they are taking. Taking more than one acetaminophen-containing medication, even at the recommended doses, can result in acetaminophen overdose. In the United States, acetaminophen overdose is the leading cause of acute liver failure, which can be fatal. Almost half the acetaminophen-related cases of acute liver failure are the result of accidental overdose resulting from patients taking more than one acetaminophen-containing medication (the source of this information is the medical journal Hepatology, Vol 42,pp 1364-72, 2005) . This app is designed to alert you to medications that contain acetaminophen. A list of acetaminophen-containing prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications is provided. You are asked to enter the amount of each medication that you are taking in a 24 hour period. The app will calculate your daily dose of acetaminophen and alert you if it is over the recommended dose. This app could save your life.
