Watch CBS News

Johnson & Johnson Changes Dosage On Extra Strength Tylenol

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (CBS4) - Johnson & Johnson making major changes to one of its most popular products to reduce the risk of an overdose.

The company announced lower dosage suggestions for it's Extra Strength Tylenol pain reliever sold domestically.

Labels on the bottles will now list the maximum daily dose as six pills, or a total of 3,000 milligrams, down from eight pills a day or 4,000 milligrams.

Acetaminophen is the active ingredient in Tylenol and numerous other prescription and nonprescription pain relievers, including Percocet, Vicodin, NyQuil and some Sudafed. People taking multiple products at once don't always realize how much acetaminophen they are ingesting.

Excessive use of acetaminophen can cause liver damage and even fatal overdoses.

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.