TWO SEEMINGLY UNRELATED NEWS ITEMS

Well, we seem to be losing major icons by the boatload. Rest in peace, Farrah, Billy Mays, Ed McMahon, Karl Malden--all of whom contributed to our culture, our pleasures, our art, our commerce.

I will not turn hypocritical and sing a song of Michael Jackson's praises, for while talented and certainly a major cultural icon, he wasn't my favorite for various reasons. But I do send condolences for his loss to all of his many fans.

No, I bring Michael up because of all the reports of various medications that he took or abused or (at least) was given prescriptions for which may have contributed to his death.

And I am fascinated by the latest reports on the dangers of acetaminophen, best known as Tylenol and used in Excedrin and NyQuil. The FDA is warning that America is doing major liver damage to itself through overdosing on this popular and normally safe drug. As reported today by The Philadelphia Inquirer, "The FDA cited research showing that acetaminophen overdoses led to 56,000 emergency-room visits, 26,000 hospitalizations, and 458 deaths from 1990 through 1998." New maximum dosage guidelines are about to come out, so that people don't overdose by unwittingly taking multiple meds containing acetaminophen. The new maximum daily recommended dose may be 2,600 milligrams, down from 4,000. Also, certain prescription drugs may be pulled entirely because of the problems they cause when people take other over the counter meds in combination with them--not to mention the dangers they pose in and of themselves at their higher prescription dosages. (These include Percocet and Vicodin, Gregory House's pain reliever of choice.)

Acetaminophen has been around for almost 50 years and in proper dosages is a wonderful drug.

We all have pain, but we need to realize that our bodies are chemistry sets, with finely tuned balances.

But American always want more. If two pills help but the result isn't enough, pop a few more. (It's amazing how many folks even O.D. on vitamins, not recognizing that they are regulatory supplements, not wonder elixirs.)

Here's where Michael Jackson comes in. We seem to think that the more we add to our bodies, the better off we'll be. (Or sometimes with Michael, the more we remove . . . !) But as with everything in life, balance and moderation are key!

While the pharmaceutical industry is hardly a group of angels, they DO actually test drugs and their dosages to find effective, safe levels. (They may be forced to do so, granted, but still, they do test.) Just as we should watch our intake of salts, fats, carbs, etc.-- all of which ARE good for us in moderation-- we should consider what is effective and what is safe and follow those guidelines. (Not to mention that some of us are more drug sensitive, so that level of safety might be variable.)

If Michael Jackson had only played with a toy chemistry set versus using his own body as a lab . . . If only he'd had real friends who knew how to say "no" to him . . .

So at the risk of sounding preachy, the following bears stating and repeating:

Consult a physician before you take ANYTHING on a regular basis, be it a prescription or a cure-all from the health food store, and any time you add to your regimen, make sure it will not have a bad interaction with that which you are already taking. (If you can't reach your primary physician, ask your local pharmacist--provided the prescription and mail-order drug services haven't run them out of business.) Take all prescriptions and supplements AT THE RECOMMENDED DOSAGE and contact your physician if you have any signs of an unusual reaction.

We're not here forever, any of us. But let's try not to leave prematurely.