FDA requiring Rx for NAC| Salty Talk 032 | THRR

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Show Notes:

1. Rx required for N-AC

Kelly says:

Hi Robb and Nicki,

Long time listener, first time question asker! I recently read an article by Dr. Mercola:

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2021/05/15/nac-banned.aspx

regarding the requirement that one may soon need a prescription for the amino acid trifecta N-Acetyl Cysteine. I have been taking this for a while just for general wellness but now I'm pretty bummed that I have to get a prescription, fill it at the pharmacy, and probably pay more for it now. I'd love to hear your thoughts on whether the juice is worth the squeeze? And of course I always love hearing some salty talk about why this is happening now when it was available OTC for almost 60 years. I guess those pharma guys and gals need more money?

Thank you both for your level-headed, realistic and applicable-to-real-life-people health guidance. Your work is appreciated.

NAC: A Natural Product So Powerful It Is Used in Hospitals https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/nac-a-natural-product-so-powerful-it-is-used-in-hospitals

Reduction in Ephedra Poisonings after FDA Ban https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmc1502505 "The number of calls to poison centers related to ephedra poisonings peaked at 10,326 in 2002 and steadily declined to 180 by the end of 2013 (Figure 1). Exposures resulting in major effects also peaked in 2002, numbering 108. Beginning in 2008, there have been 3 or fewer reports of exposures with major effects per year. The number of deaths peaked at 7 in 2004, and there have been no reported ephedra-related deaths since 2008."

Acetaminophen and the U.S. Acute Liver Failure Study Group: lowering the risks of hepatic failure https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15239078/ Acetaminophen overdose is the leading cause for calls to Poison Control Centers (>100,000/year) and accounts for more than 56,000 emergency room visits, 2,600 hospitalizations, and an estimated 458 deaths due to acute liver failure each year....By enabling self-diagnosis and treatment of minor aches and pains, its benefits are said by the Food and Drug Administration to outweigh its risks. It still must be asked: Is this amount of injury and death really acceptable for an over-the-counter pain reliever?"

Over-the-Counter Pain Medication Market will Exhibit a Steady 4.0% CAGR through 2028: Future Market Insights https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/02/20/1738355/0/en/Over-the-Counter-Pain-Medication-Market-will-Exhibit-a-Steady-4-0-CAGR-through-2028-Future-Market-Insights.html "The OTC (over-the-counter) pain medication market surpassed US$ 18 billion in 2018, with growth influenced by changing perceptions on generic pharmaceutical drugs, according to a recent study published by Future Market Insights (FMI). The study opines that market revenue will rev up at an improved rate of 3.7% to exceed US$ 19.3 billion in 2019. FMI analyzes various aspects of market growth influencing the OTC pain medication market....As acetaminophen is considered as a safer pain medication than other pain relievers, its demand will continue to remain high in the upcoming years, opines the FMI study."

Use of N-acetylcysteine in clinical toxicology https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1928204/ "The major use of N-acetylcysteine in clinical toxicology is in the treatment of acetaminophen (paracetamol) overdosage. The hepatorenal toxicity of acetaminophen is mediated by a reactive metabolite normally detoxified by reduced glutathione. If glutathione is depleted, covalent binding to macromolecules and/or oxidation of thiol enzymes can lead to cell death."

N-Acetylcysteine Improves Liver Function in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3270338/ Non-alcoholic fatty liver change is a common disease of the liver in which oxidative stress plays a basic role. Studies are largely focused on protecting the liver by means of anti-oxidative material. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of N- acetylcysteine in the process of liver injury....NAC resulted in a significant decrease of serum alanine aminotransfrase after three months, compared to vitamin C. This effect was independent of the grade of steatosis in the initial diagnosis.

Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), Active Component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2000–2017 https://health.mil/News/Articles/2019/01/01/NAFLD "During 2000–2017, a total of 19,069 active component service members received incident diagnoses of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)"

Incidence of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Children: 2009–2018 https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/146/6/e20200771/tab-figures-data

N-acetylcysteine overdose after acetaminophen poisoning https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4354467/

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