Acetaminophen
(Tylenol) is widely recommended for the relief of back pain and the pain
of knee and hip arthritis. But a systematic review of randomized trials
has found that it works no better than a placebo.
Australian researchers
reviewed three randomized trials that compared acetaminophen with a
placebo for the relief of spinal pain, and 10 trials that compared their
use for easing the pain of osteoarthritis. All together, the analysis
included 5,366 patients. Acetaminophen was given orally in doses between
3,000 and 4,000 milligrams a day, except for one study in which a dose
of 1,000 milligrams was administered intravenously.
The review, published online in BMJ,
found high quality evidence that Tylenol is ineffective in treating low
back pain or disability. It also found evidence that the drug
quadruples the risk of an abnormal liver function test, but the clinical
significance of that finding is unclear.
The studies of pain
from knee and hip arthritis found a small but clinically insignificant
short-term pain-relief effect for acetaminophen compared with a placebo...Continue reading...
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