Liver Danger - PLEASE be careful!

I'm sure you've all heard this by now. Acetominophen is a real serious danger to us all. My best friend is in the hospital still fighting for her life. (she's been in there for about 3 weeks now). She has Crohns disease, and had been feeling ill. She'd been to the ER aprox 5 times. They kept giving her medication for various things... sinus infection, fever, pain. etc...  She was taking acetominophen for pain and most likely they had her prescribed too much she had liver failure and kidney failure and her entire body turned toxic, her brain swelled. She slipped into a coma and nearly died.  It's a miracle that she lived. But they found out that she was prescribed to much acetominophen, which gave her the acute liver failure. She'd been on the list for a liver transplant (life expectancy after that is 5-10 yrs I hear) at any rate, she improved a bit and was taken off the list. She now has pnemonia. Her liver was doing better and her kidneys as well, but lately her liver wasn't doing as well as they hoped. She's strong and fighting. It's frightening when I think back on the PRESCRIBED amount of vicodin that i was taking not too long ago when I pulled my shoulder and back and was in so much pain. Now the dosage that I had taken then is now deemed seriously detrimental to the liver!!! How close had I been to damaging my liver??? I'd say very close since I had taken 2 pills for about a month - 2 months. the 2nd month was very infrequent though...but that first month when I was in so much pain... yikes... its really scary. We as WLS patients use it more often than other since we can't have the NSAIDS. I swear we're nearly S.O.L. aren't we if worse comes to worse. So I wanted to share my story and let everyone know to take care of those livers. We are more suceptible than others. Be careful of that alcohol too!! Some things that are good for the liver: Milk Thistle, Black Cherries, Water (of course) Prune Juice, Prunes, Spinach and leafy greens. Dandelion Root (careful, this is a diarutetic so don't drink to much (comes in tea form)) be careful everyone! ((hugs!))

P.S. PLEASE keep my best friend in your prayers. She needs all that she can get!! I don't know what I'd do without her! :*-(

Dear Elizabeth, your friends is in my prayrers, I hope for her healing and speedy recovery. If you recall, my liver tests (bloodwork) consistently come back as indicating liver disease but no one can understand it so I keep hearing the same thing: "Let's just monitor the situation." Before my surgery, I don't recall any doctor ever telling me I had an issue with my liver. The industry is only just now tapping into the very real medical consequences to this surgery - like it or not, we need to be vigilent in keeping informed so that we can be the best advocates for our health. By the way, what does S.O.L. mean? You say, "I swear we're nearly S.O.L. ..." what does that mean? Love, Maureen

Maureen, I know a few friends here on the board have some liver issues. It's certainly scary :(  Hang in there! ((hugs!!)).  SOL... mean "poo" Out of Luck. you know. We're SOL. lol... at least when it comes to meds. I mean they do have other medications, but with our livers and our chances, we are at such a higher risk. My doc said my liver was fine when I had the blood tests done. Thankfully! I was scared after taking all that vicodin!!  Don't know how much info a blood test gives on that though. wouldn't a Urine test be more thorough? 

Oh - I SO don't know this virtual reality language lingo!!! My daughter was trying to instruct me a while ago cuz she was misreading what I was emailing - I said that how she interpreted my meassage was the farthest thing from the truth! I wasn't even thinking what she was thinking - but apparently, the way you treat the fonts in your messaging (like caps mean you're SCREAMING!) is indicative of how you're feeling! So it's not the message that matters, it's the way the message looks that determines how the message is received. Oh, I'm too OLD for this stuff!!! :) Maureen

i don't know all the lingo and forget about texting. I just can't do it. S.O.L. though is an old saying. My mom always said that to me. "Oh well guess your SOL" I even remember asking her what the heck SOL was (since i was young) she just laughed and said Sht out of luck! haha! yeah texting is not my thing. It takes me FOREVER to text on a phone. So i hardly ever do it. Yeah caps mean yelling. I do know that. and I know lol and rofl. (rolling on the floor laughing) ... also brb (be right back) afkb (away from key board) that one I had to ask about. but thats all i know. I also know alot of people had it when they write the lower case i instead of I. I could care less. i type very fast so it just whips out as a lower case. ah well! 

Hey, What's your friend's name & I will add her to my prayer chain at Church as well as my own.
Sounds like she is doing better, but wow now dealing with pnemonia is soooo scary on top of what she just went through & still going through.
I stopped taking advil awhile ago, but, switch back to tylenol & only take that when the pain is beyond coping. My back still gives me fits once in ahile & I fell the other day, so, it really hurts
today.
Take care

Hi Elizabeth, how is your friend doing? I've been thinking good thoughts for her - listen, is she a WLS patient, has she had the surgery? Or is this a general warning for anyone who takes too much actominophen? I recently fell off my horse and my head hit the ground like a tennis ball; I have not been able to shake these pretty debilitating headaches ever since. I have taken maybe 6 doses of actominophen, and a couple of doses of tylenol. I don't know what else to do - have I overdone it? Especially since I already have liver issues!!! Love ya, Maureen