OTCs - Tylenol: ADHD, autism, ulcers, GI issues, kidney disease, heart failure. Laxative given to children: rage, tics, insomnia, seizures. Ibuprofen: DNA damage, hypertension. Sunscreens? Nightmare.
Prescription drugs cause great harm, but so do over-the-counter meds and personal care products. Get an organized curation of research and reports.
Serious Harms from OTC Laxative
The F.D.A. has raised new questions about the safety of an adult laxative routinely given to constipated children, sometimes daily for years. The agency has asked a team of scientists in Philadelphia to look more closely at the active ingredient in Miralax and similar generic products, called... PEG 3350... Doctors have long recommended these laxatives for their convenience and on the grounds that very little PEG 3350 is absorbed in the intestines. But the F.D.A. says there is little data on its absorption in children, especially the very young and chronically constipated. The agency never approved long-term daily use of the laxatives, even in adults.... Moreover, for years the F.D.A. has received occasional reports of tremors, tics and obsessive-compulsive behavior in children given laxatives containing PEG 3350... Buried in the agency’s brief to researchers, issued last year... the F.D.A. said that it had tested eight batches of Miralax and found tiny amounts of ethylene glycol (EG) and diethylene glycol, ingredients in antifreeze, in all of them. The agency said the toxins were impurities resulting from the manufacturing process. Those tests were conducted in 2008, but the results were not disclosed... An F.D.A. spokesman, said batches were tested because ‘many of the reported adverse events were classic symptoms of ethylene glycol ingestion... No detectable amount of either chemical should be present in food or medication, said [a spokesperson for]... a nonprofit that sets quality standards for medicines and other products. Psychiatric illnesses like those reported in children taking the laxatives have also been observed in cases in which a child took substantial amounts of ethylene glycol. Some children taking Miralax chronically also have developed acidic blood, according to F.D.A. records, which can be a consequence of ingesting EG.
Contents
Context: Pharmaceutical Drug Harms
Tylenol, More than 40 Products Contain Acetaminophen
Acetaminophen: Evidence of Harm
NSAIDs, Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin): Evidence of Harm
OTC Products with Serious & Deadly Effects in Children
Dangerous Chemical (Benzene) in Acne Treatments & Other Products
Sunscreens: More Serious Problems
Other Toxic OTC Products
More Concerns
For Wellness Providers & Educators: Boost Your Impact — Premium Resources Just a Click Away from $19
See Also
Context: Pharmaceutical Drug Harms
Pharmaceuticals generally + overprescription — In a controlled trial with disabled elderly adults, doing nothing except terminating some of their prescriptions dropped the death rate by 53% compared to the control. “More than half of the patients were candidates for deprescribing. The most common criterion was inappropriately long use, followed by safety concerns, and lack of indication.”
Acid blockers, PPIs, drugs for acid reflux, heartburn, GERD, gastric ulcer — PPIs increased cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis and bone fractures, chronic kidney disease, neurodegeneration including Alzheimer’s and dementia, all-cause mortality (death), B-12 deficiency, pneumonia, and infections. PPIs altered children’s gut microbiome, the foundation of immunity and health, and increased infections in children. Stomach acid is crucial for health.
ADHD drugs, stimulants —Caused “long-lasting changes” in brain function “similar to those that occur with cocaine.” “There is no such thing as a Ritalin deficiency.” Harms from ADHD drugs are many, and effects from higher doses are severe. Get verifiable research and alternatives for resolving the underlying issues.
Alzheimer’s, dementia, and Parkinson’s drugs — Alzheimer’s & dementia drugs are less effective than B vitamins. And they cause fluid build-up & bleeding in the brain and increased death. Parkinson’s drugs deplete nutrients needed for brain health. Parkinson’s symptoms can be reversed. Successful therapies promote brain autophagy, “the removal of old and damaged brain cells and the creation of new and healthy brain cells.”
Antibiotics — “Like TNT for the body’s microbiome” and linked with kidney stones, infertility, miscarriage, birth defects. Since 70 to 80% of the immune system is in the gut, damage to gut health is damage to immune health. Review curated research + alternatives and considerations.
Asthma, allergy & hay fever drugs, antihistamines — Antihistamines cause heart problems, cognitive impairment, seizures in kids. Asthma “med” caused depression, anxiety, aggression, suicides. “Common medications like diphenhydramine [called benadryl, other brand names] cross the blood-brain barrier, disrupting normal brain activity and lowering seizure thresholds in vulnerable children.”
Blood pressure drugs — Allergies, Diabetes, Weight Gain, Sexual Dysfunction, Depression, Acute Kidney Injury, Lung Cancer, Abnormal Heart Rate, and More. Blood pressure-lowering drugs have not been shown to be effective; do not address the root cause(s) of hypertension; have been contaminated with cancer-causing agents; and cause harm (“side effects”).
Chemotherapy, other cancer drugs, radiation — “Chemotherapy makes cancer worse.” “Chemotherapy doubled the number of cancer cells in the bloodstream and lungs.” “Omitting radiation from treatment did not have an effect on survival rates.” “Radiation therapy increases the risk of solid tumors.” Chemotherapy drugs harm the healthcare professionals who administer them.
Diabetes drugs, metformin — Caused death, low blood pressure, slowed heart rate, reduced blood flow to brain & organs. 90% + of diabetes is reversible with diet but professionals push drugs that harm. Professionals avoid telling the simple truth about the effectiveness of low carb diets and push profitable drugs that cause harm. In 2023, the FDA approved more drugs to treat diabetes in children.
Osteoporosis drugs, bisphosphonates — Caused “substantially reduced bone strength” and caused more microcracks in bone than the controls. Osteoporosis drugs caused blood calcium levels to drop, digestion problems, internal bleeding, irregular heartbeat, bone fractures, and bone death.
Over the counter drugs (OTCs) (you’re here) — Tylenol: ADHD, autism, ulcers, GI issues, kidney disease, heart failure. Laxative given to children: rage, tics, insomnia, seizures. Ibuprofen: DNA damage, hypertension. Sunscreens? Nightmare. Prescription drugs cause great harm, but so do over-the-counter meds and personal care products. Get an organized curation of research and reports.
Pain relievers, NSAIDs, opioids — Even at “safe doses,” opioids cause confusion, dependence, depression, increased pain sensitivity, diminished energy, and low sex drive. Consistent use of NSAIDs caused heart attacks. Doctors are not trained in pain management or addiction, but they prescribe dangerous, highly addictive drugs. Get an organized curation of research and reports, plus alternatives and considerations.
Psychiatric drugs: antidepressants, SSRIs, anti-anxiety, benzos, other psychotropics — Anti-depressants cause suicidal thinking, violence, and homicide. Anti-anxiety drugs cause insomnia and anxiety. Anti-psychotic drugs cause agitation, psychosis and violence. This organized curation of research and reports makes it clear that the evidence of harm from psychotropic drugs is overwhelming. We also provide alternatives and considerations.
Scans, radiology, & ultrasounds (e.g. mammograms, CT scans, X-rays) — Medical scans (CT scans, mammograms, etc) use ionizing radiation which damages DNA and causes cancer. Research and resource curation, including research showing that 1) mammograms do not reduce risk of death, and 2) a higher incidence of breast cancer was caused from mammography radiation.
Seizure drugs, anticonvulsants, anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) — Devastating effects, negatively impacting virtually every system of the body, including damage to blood vessels and reduction in all three types of blood cells. Seizure drugs caused liver failure and death in young people and in healthy adults. A long list of non-harming alternatives listed below, with links to research on their effectiveness.
Sleeping pills, sedatives — Sleeping pills make you unconscious, not asleep. They impair the sleep cycle. They increase dementia, falls, and death. And they’re highly addictive. Sleeping pills deprive people of true sleep and they impede essential brain functions (which are causes of dementia, Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases)
Statins — Statin drugs damage health at foundational levels — mitochondria, muscles and nerves — which can lead to more than 300 health problems. Research curation on statin harms, plus research showing that 1) lowering cholesterol does not improve heart health, and 2) statins do not lower all-cause death rates.
Steroids — Cause osteoporosis and double the risk of bone fractures. They increase heart failure, diabetes, psychiatric issues, glaucoma, and serious infections. Steroid users report rapid weight gain, intense hunger, irritability, anxiety, depression, sleep problems, acne, stomach pain, nausea, joint pain, and withdrawal reactions, among other adverse events.
Vaccines — Reports by vaccine type.
Weight loss drugs — Ozempic & Similar Weight Loss Drugs Cause Kidney Failure, Pancreatitis, Thyroid Cancer, Gallbladder Issues, Depression, Severe Stomach Problems, Bone & Muscle Loss, Blindness, and Death. “Ozempic, similar weight loss drugs linked to 162 deaths in U.S.” Get an organized curation of research and reports, with quick links to verify sources.
Tylenol, More than 40 Products Contain Acetaminophen
In addition to Tylenol and Children’s Tylenol, many other products contain acetaminophen including Aleve-D, DayQuil, Midol, Zyrtec-D, Children’s Advil, Infants’ Tylenol, Theraflu and more.
In this post, Dr. Sherri Tenpenny shared a PDF listing more than 40 over the counter and prescription medications that contain acetaminophen.
Acetaminophen: Evidence of Harm
Prenatal use of acetaminophen linked to ADHD in Children
Pregnant women have long been assured [by doctors] that acetaminophen can treat their aches, pains and fevers without bringing harm to the babies they carry. Now researchers say they have found a strong link between prenatal use of the medication and cases of ADHD in children. The results, published … in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, add to growing evidence that the active ingredient in Tylenol may influence brain development in utero.
Acetaminophen “wipes out glutathione stores”
Not having enough glutathione places the human body at serious risk of an adverse event when it is assaulted by vaccines. Acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol, adds fuel to the fire of vaccination as it wipes out glutathione stores… Medical professionals continue to encourage the concurrent use of vaccines and acetaminophen… We’re seeing the effects of this poorly researched recommendation now, and it’s clear that the potential harm from this pain reliever starts when a child is still in utero and extends into the formative years… But your doctor says acetaminophen is safe, right? One study found that doctors are roughly 17 years behind on current research. Certainly, acetaminophen’s role alongside vaccines is only part of the equation in the depletion of glutathione.
Research confirms the devastating neurological outcomes in children; women filed 87 lawsuits against drug sellers
Citing new studies linking the analgesic drug acetaminophen (a chemical also known as paracetamol or by brand names Tylenol and Panadol) to the development of neurological conditions such as autism, attention-deficit disorder and hyperactivity in their children, women in the United States have filed 87 lawsuits in seven states against several pharmacies that sell the drug… The women filing the lawsuits allege that the acetaminophen that they took while they were pregnant caused their children’s neurological problems. They say there are more than 20 peer-reviewed studies that have found an association between the development of brain disorders and the use of the over-the-counter analgesic drug, which was licensed in the mid-1950s and is the most widely used physician-recommended pain reliever world-wide. Plaintiff attorneys specifically cite a 2018 study by Hebrew University of Jerusalem published in the American Journal of Epidemiology on Apr. 24, 2018 that found a 30 percent increase in the relative risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, whose pregnant mothers took high amounts of the drug, and a 20 percent increase in relative risk of autism spectrum disorder.
“Suppressing superficial reactions (e.g., fevers) can transform illnesses into chronic ailments which cause far more issues.”
Over the counter (OTC) pain and fever medications are widely used despite having marginal efficacy and significant side effects (that hospitalize hundreds of thousands of Americans each year). While a widespread practice, using these medications to reduce fevers has long been controversial, both due to their toxicity, and the notion that fevers are essential for health (e.g., they allow the body to resist infections and a lack of childhood fevers has been repeatedly linked to severe cancers). During the 1918 Influenza pandemic (arguably the deadliest pandemic in history), one of the most critical lessons from the literature at the time was that avoiding fever suppression was vital for protecting patients from dying. The lessons from 1918, in turn, were highly applicable to Covid-19. While considered the “safest” option, Tylenol has a wide degree of issues, including liver damage (which causes thousands of hospitalizations and deaths each year), gastrointestinal issues, blood cancers, and kidney injuries. An extensive body of data connects using Tylenol during pregnancy or in infancy to the development of neurological injuries (e.g., autism). While this is commonly attributed to its liver toxicity impairing glutathione detoxification, many of these tragic cases also illustrate a longstanding observation within natural medicine—suppressing superficial reactions (e.g., fevers) can transform illnesses into chronic ailments which cause far more issues.
Acetaminophen (Paracetamol / Tylenol) causes acute liver failure — “Nearly 500 die and 30,000 are hospitalized each year in the US as a result of… [Tylenol’s] toxic effects.”
Acetaminophen is “hepatotoxic” meaning it damages liver cells — Reams of research document the fact that acetaminophen damages the liver.
Acetaminophen has mind-altering (“psychotropic”) effects and blunts emotions, both positive and negative — “In 2015, a groundbreaking study found that Tylenol (acetaminophen) not only blunts pain, but has potent psychotropic side effects highly relevant to human social connection and behavior, such as blunting both positive and negative emotional stimuli, also known as ‘affect flattening’ in psychiatric terminology.” See also: Painkiller or Soul-Killer? The Troubling Connection Between Tylenol and Decreased Empathy
Acetaminophen increased ulcers, GI bleeding, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, and heart failure — “General practice records from 1998 to 2018 in the U.K show that, among some 180,000 people age 65 and older who received prescriptions for acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol in Britain), risks for peptic ulcers, bleeding from ulcers, and any type of lower gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding were increased from 20% to 36% compared with more than 400,000 people not prescribed the drug… Acetaminophen use was also associated with increased rates of more general health problems including heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and hypertension.” See also: Incidence of Side Effects Associated With Acetaminophen in People Aged 65 Years or More: A Prospective Cohort Study Using Data From the Clinical Practice Research Datalink
“Exposure of susceptible babies and children to acetaminophen (paracetamol) induces many… cases of autism spectrum disorder” — “Based on available data that include approximately 20 lines of evidence from studies in laboratory animal models, observations in humans, correlations in time, and pharmacological / toxicological considerations, it has been concluded without reasonable doubt and with no evidence to the contrary that exposure of susceptible babies and children to acetaminophen (paracetamol) induces many… cases of autism spectrum disorder… Further, studies have failed to demonstrate long-term benefits of acetaminophen for the pediatric population, leaving no valid rationale for continued use of the drug in that population given its risks to neurodevelopment.” See also: Acetaminophen doesn’t cause autism. That’s absurd. You have no proof.” A summary of the scientific evidence showing Tylenol damages the developing brain; “‘The scientific evidence that acetaminophen (the main ingredient in baby Tylenol) is implicated in the rise of autism is “incontrovertible,” according to Dr. William Parker, Ph.D.” See also: Common painkiller should be investigated for possible risks to developing fetuses, experts say; “Twenty-six of the mother and child studies found a link between acetaminophen exposure during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcomes… ‘The identified disorders were primarily attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, and related ADHD behavior abnormalities that also include autism spectrum disorder, language delays, decreased IQ and conduct disorders’.” See also: Is Acetaminophen Fanning the Flames of Vaccine Injury?; “Not having enough glutathione places the human body at serious risk of an adverse event when it is assaulted by vaccines. Acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol, adds fuel to the fire of vaccination as it wipes out glutathione stores… Medical professionals continue to encourage the concurrent use of vaccines and acetaminophen… We’re seeing the effects of this poorly researched recommendation now, and it’s clear that the potential harm from this pain reliever starts when a child is still in utero and extends into the formative years… But your doctor says acetaminophen is safe, right? One study found that doctors are roughly 17 years behind on current research. Certainly, acetaminophen’s role alongside vaccines is only part of the equation in the depletion of glutathione.” See also: Top Professor Ousted as His Research on Tylenol Became Too Much of a Headache for His University and Big Pharma; “One of the most important research projects he has conducted, Parker said, uncovered toxic effects of acetaminophen, particularly on infants and children. Parker claims, among other things, that the scientific evidence overwhelmingly indicates that early exposure to acetaminophen causes autism.” See also: There Is a Postnatal Link Between Tylenol Use and Autism, Researcher Says
Acetaminophen in pregnancy is associated with ADHD in children — Medical doctors assure pregnant women of the safety of acetaminophen, a drug that harms the baby’s brain development in utero. See also: Researcher Says FDA Needs to Reevaluate Acetaminophen After Study Finds ADHD Link; “The paper, which tracked 307 women from 2006 to 2011 who submitted blood samples during their pregnancy, looked into whether they had biomarkers showing they had taken acetaminophen. Children born to these mothers were tracked for eight to 10 years afterward.” See also: Associations of maternal blood biomarkers of prenatal APAP exposure with placental gene expression and child attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; “Despite evidence linking prenatal acetaminophen (APAP) exposure and adverse neurodevelopment in humans and animals, over half of pregnant women in most populations use APAP.”
NSAIDs, Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin): Evidence of Harm
Ibuprofen Kills Thousands Each Year, So What is the Alternative? — “Ibuprofen, a petrochemical-derivative, has been linked to significantly increased risk of heart attack and increased cardiac and all-cause mortality (when combined with aspirin), with over two dozen serious adverse health effects, including: anemia, DNA damage, hearing loss, hypertension, influenza mortality, and miscarriage.”
NSAIDs Increase Risk of Ulcers, Heart Disease and Kidney Failure — Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs include Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), Naproxen (Aleve) and Aspirin (Excedrin, Bufferin). Learn more in Pain Relievers here.
Prescription NSAIDs are also available. Consistent use caused heart attacks. See here and here for more information.
OTC Products with Serious & Deadly Effects in Children
Since it was first introduced 13 years ago, a drug called Miralax — an odorless, tasteless laxative that can be easily diluted in orange juice or water — has become a staple in many American households… The FDA approved the drug for use only by adults, and for only seven days at a time. Instead, Miralax has become a long-term solution for childhood constipation… rather than a short-term fix so that parents can change their children’s diets to include more fruits and vegetables. “I’ve had kids on it daily for years,” said Dr. Scott W. Cohen, a pediatrician in Beverly Hills, Calif., adding that he will generally refer them to a specialist in prolonged cases. For children with chronic constipation who are not being helped by dietary changes, “We literally give it like water.”
Over the Counter Antihistamine Has Serious & Deadly Effects in Children — “Australia’s drug regulator has issued a safety warning over the medicine Phenergan and related products containing the antihistamine drug promethazine. The Therapeutic Goods Administration said the over-the-counter products should not be given to children under six due to concerns of serious side effects including hyperactivity, aggression and hallucination. Breathing can also become slow or shallow, which can be fatal.”
Common Laxatives (PEG 3350) Linked to Many Serious Issues in Children —
