# Alcohol and pain relievers **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 22, 2006, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-pain-relievers/341133 "2006-01-22T19:00:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-pain-relievers/341133/21 "2006-01-24T02:47:51Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > He doesn’t want to know. He’s been sober for almost nine years. . Hmm, but there might be something an MD could be doing to help his liver. Can you help us here, \*\*Qadgop the Mercotan? \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-pain-relievers/341133/22 "2006-01-24T03:40:21Z")
So what should people be popping after the occasional night of heavy drinking? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-pain-relievers/341133/23 "2006-01-24T03:48:54Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Hmm, but there might be something an MD could be doing to help his liver. Can you help us here, \*\*Qadgop the Mercotan? \*\* Hey, I’d check a patient’s liver functions, and if they were normal, I’d advise them to never consume more than 4 grams of tylenol in 24 hours, or more than 1 gram every 6 hours, don’t mix it with alcohol, and play nice. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-pain-relievers/341133/24 "2006-01-24T04:30:24Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > and if they were normal, You have normal patients? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-pain-relievers/341133/25 "2006-01-24T04:38:44Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > Hey, I’d check a patient’s liver functions, and if they were normal, I’d advise them to never consume more than 4 grams of tylenol in 24 hours, or more than 1 gram every 6 hours, don’t mix it with alcohol, and play nice. Good general advice. 😉 But if there is some damage- is there anything that can be done to get the liver better? ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-pain-relievers/341133/26 "2006-01-24T07:15:55Z")
For your enjoyment, Cecil also had a column on this very subject a few years back: [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/000929.html](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/000929.html) > [@Cecil](#): > > The real problem with drugs like Tylenol is that the difference between a therapeutic (that is, medically effective) dose and a toxic one is surprisingly small. In adults the maximum safe dosage is four grams (eight 500-milligram tablets) over a 24-hour period. The toxic dose is a mere seven grams taken all at once. > > You can make the margin even thinner by drinking too much and eating too little. I’ll spare you the biochemistry, but basically acetaminophen and alcohol in combination overwhelm the liver’s ability to remove toxins from your bloodstream. At the same time, starving yourself reduces the liver’s output of glutathione, a natural detoxicant produced in response to food. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-pain-relievers/341133/27 "2006-01-24T15:35:50Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Good general advice. 😉 > > But if there is some damage- is there anything that can be done to get the liver better? After my father went to the doctor because of alcoholism, he was told to just not drink and his liver would slowly repair itself over a number of years - less than the 9 **Kalhoun** mentioned. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-pain-relievers/341133.md?page=1)