I have been taking OTC cough/cold/flu preps for about a week. These all contain acetaminophen with the subsequent warnings against using if one imbibes due to possible liver damage. Is there a period of time I should wait (I'm better now) after I stop using the OTCs before I can resume enjoying my "more than 3 alcoholic beverages" per day to allow the acetaminophen to metabolize?

Acetaminophen is a pain reliever that is included in many over-the-counter cold, cough, and flu medications. It's a safe and effective pain reliever when used according to directions. Complications caused by combining acetaminophen and alcohol, however, are often underreported. As the bottle warns, introducing alcohol and acetaminophen simultaneously into the body's system could lead to life-threatening complications, specifically alcohol-acetaminophen syndrome. Alcohol-acetaminophen syndrome can cause acute liver failure. Transaminase, a liver protein, helps speed up metabolism, storage, filtration, and excretion in the liver. High transaminase levels, a characteristic of alcohol-acetaminophen syndrome, show that the liver is working overtime to metabolize both the alcohol and the acetaminophen, which is more than the liver can handle. The alcohol metabolizes at a higher rate, leaving "extra" toxic enzymes from the acetaminophen in the body's system. This excess of toxins, called "hepatotoxicity," can lead to acute liver damage or failure. Some health care providers speculate that alcohol-acetaminophen syndrome is the leading cause of acute liver damage in the United States.

Before ingesting acetaminophen, it's important to consider current alcohol drinking behavior when taking acetaminophen, as well as the condition of the person's liver. Chronic alcohol (ab)use depletes the body of toxin-fighting glutathione, lowering the body's defense against even the slightest dose of acetaminophen. Therefore, long-time alcohol users, even moderate social drinkers (3 or fewer glasses of alcohol a day), who ingest acetaminophen are at risk for acute liver failure. Even recommended "safe" doses