Question: I have chronic pain in my knees and have taken Tylenol for many years. It works very well for me. But I’ve been reading that it can cause liver problems. Do you think I should switch to a different product?


Dr. Hibberd's answer:

Tylenol is currently the most popular painkiller in the United States. The usual dose of Tylenol does not cause significant liver damage at all in people with normal livers, although rarely, this can happen. Tylenol is quite safe to use in the recommended doses for a brief duration, and should be used with caution, if at all, in patients with severe liver disease, such as advanced cirrhosis, or liver failure.