Let’s Talk About Reye’s Syndrome?
And learn why neither Secretary Kennedy nor Joe Rogan should be giving anyone medical advice.
Do you remember why you aren’t supposed to give aspirin to kids? It is because of the risk of developing Reye’s syndrome!
Don’t feel bad if you didn’t know that…
Apparently, Joe Rogan didn’t know either.
Let’s Talk About Reye’s Syndrome?
What about RFK Jr?
Despite some reports that he blamed Tylenol, instead of aspirin, for causing Reye’s syndrome, that’s not really true.
Sure, Kennedy is responsible for a ton of misinformation, but in this case, not so much. Well, not about Tylenol and Reye’s syndrome.
What did Kennedy say?
Kennedy - We didn’t want to ban it during pregnancy, because as bad as it is, it is the best thing, instead of taking ibuprofen or aspirin.
Rogan - Why is aspirin bad?
Kennedy - Because of Reye’s syndrome. It has a clear association with Reye’s Syndrome. And they all have problems.
Rogan - What is that word. Reye’s syndrome?
Kennedy - Reye’s Syndrome. R E Y E S
Rogan - What is that?
Kennedy - I’m not sure exactly.
Apparently they eventually googled it and found out and Rogan even found some good information, including:
“Salicyate containing meds in children, teens with flu, chickenpox, or cold, use acetaminophen or ibuprofen instead, vaccinate against flu and chickenpox and screen newborns for metabolic risks.”
Joe Rogan - Epidsode #2461
And yet still concluded that “So it’s acetaminophen is the issue in Tylenol, right, because I, I read this terrible story about a lady who died during COVID because she but not from COVID from Tylenol. She just kept taking Tylenol.”
Wow…
And although Kennedy didn’t say that Tylenol causes Reye’s syndrome, he didn’t get much else right.
“In the 1970s and 1980s, Reye’s syndrome was feared by parents in a way that was reminiscent of the fear of poliomyelitis before the introduction of vaccine. Like polio, Reye’s syndrome occurred mainly in children, in clusters of cases over limited periods and in limited geographic areas, generating headlines in local newspapers.”
The disappearance of Reye’s syndrome--a public health triumph
In truth, Reye’s syndrome:
is most common in children and teens and is not associated with pregnancy
occurs after a viral infection, like the flu or chicken pox - another good reason to get vaccinated and protected!
is linked to taking aspirin (salicylate and salicylate-containing medications) while your child has a viral infection
causes severe brain, blood, and liver problems
can lead to seizures, loss of consciousness, a coma, and death
has no cure
Reye’s syndrome is the reason that your pediatrician might remind you that chewable “baby aspirin” isn’t usually for kids!
Of course, we don’t call them “baby aspirin” anymore. Instead, they are now called low dose aspirin.
It is also why you are not supposed to give regular Pepto-Bismol (bismuth subsalicylate) to kids! And why Pepto Kids contains calcium carbonate instead (like a lower dose version of TUMS)…
And Tylenol?
Keep in mind that everything Kennedy has been saying about Tylenol in pregnancy has been shown to be false.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said there is not “sufficient” evidence that Tylenol causes autism, softening warnings he and President Trump have repeatedly made to discourage the medicine’s use by pregnant women and young children.
RFK Jr. says no ‘sufficient’ evidence Tylenol definitively causes autism
Kennedy has even backtracked from his initial claim that Tylenol causes autism!
“Good news rarely makes headlines; outbreaks certainly do. The virtual disappearance of a disease is typically ignored. This reaction has sometimes led to underfunding of vaccine programs after the initial reductions in the incidence of the disease. With Reye’s syndrome, the relation between the disease and the risk factor is somewhat different, but the near-disappearance of Reye’s syndrome should be recognized as the success it is.”
The disappearance of Reye’s syndrome--a public health triumph
Mostly, Kennedy talking about Reye’s syndrome is sad, because it is a reminder of the kind public health triumph that is unlikely to occur today considering how RFK Jr has been destroying our public health systems…
More on Reye’s Syndrome
Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Use of Salicylates and Reye Syndrome
The disappearance of Reye’s syndrome--a public health triumph
ACOG Affirms Safety and Benefits of Acetaminophen during Pregnancy
RFK Jr.’s Inaccurate Claims About Tylenol, Circumcision and Autism
RFK Jr. says no ‘sufficient’ evidence Tylenol definitively causes autism