'I never thought I'd get to this point': Tylenol claims have KY's leading health expert cautioning against federal guidance

It's not a position Cabinet for Health Family Services Secretary Dr. Steven Stack ever envisioned staking out in his career in medicine.

"I never thought I'd get to this point, but I would discourage people at this point from listening to the guidance from our federal health agencies because it is now becoming very, very difficult to decipher what is valid medical science and what is just outright quackery," he tells WUKY.

As for the Trump administration's assertion of a connection between the common over-the-counter pain reliever and autism, Stack said federal agencies are misleading Americans on several fronts.

"They are both, on one hand, undermining confidence in Tylenol — which has been studied extensively and proven to be safe — and, on the other hand, pushing potentially a new intervention that is woefully understudied and that physicians would not feel has enough evidence behind it to recommend," the secretary says.

Federal officials signaled their intention to alter the label for leucovorin, a type of vitamin B typically used in tandem with cancer treatment, to promote its use as a treatment for autism.

Mark Schiefelbein/AP

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AP

Finally, for those left confused by the conflicting claims, Stack has this message.

"Pregnant women, please consult you obstetrician, gynecologist, or family physician about whether you should or should not do anything in your pregnancy," he says. "But please do not avoid taking Tylenol if they recommend that because they have trained for a lot of years to give you high-quality guidance and advice."

Regard how extensive the administration's push against the fever reliever may be, the Kentucky health official says it sent a communication to all physicians urging them to counsel women that Tylenol could be dangerous and is apparently looking to label acetaminophen with new warnings — statements Stack says are not backed by science.