Medication use needs a review

Dear Dr. Gott: : I have a friend who takes Xanax in five to 10 doses at a time and drinks beer with it, making him very annoying. He shrugs it off as “no harm in it.”

He also says taking six to 10 pain relievers (over the counter or prescription) with acetaminophen will not do any liver damage as long as he doesn’t drink alcohol with them. I say he is doing more harm taking 10 acetaminophen tablets at one time than taking the recommended dose and drinking a couple of beers.

Dear Reader: Your friend is a walking time bomb. He not only is taking too much Xanax, but he is overdosing with dangerous levels of acetaminophen as well. Xanax can be addictive, and excessive doses of acetaminophen will cause liver damage that can be fatal. Certainly his beer consumption is inappropriate as well.

Your friend needs to address these problems now before permanent brain and liver damage sets in. I’d start by involving his doctor, who is responsible for providing the prescriptions.

Someone has to blow the whistle to get your friend straightened out before his health is jeopardized.