Thursday, February 29, 2008; Posted 5:46 pm (CDT)

Madalyn Byrne, a dean's list student at the University of Oklahoma, died on Monday. Doctors say her death was a result of taking too much acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol.

Evelyn Byrne got a call on Sunday night from Madalyn's roommate. He said her daughter was delirious and did not know who she was. She was also covered in vomit.

Physicians estimate Madalyn took nine extra strength Tylenol pills a day for three weeks, all because of a tooth ache.

Dr. Harlan Wright with Integris Baptist Hospital says a safe does is no more than two grams a day.

"If you are a busy teenager running around, you might think you don't have time to be sick, but the truth is you do have time to be sick," says Dr. Wright.

Madalyn was indeed a busy teenager. At OU she majored in music education and played the mellophone in the marching band. She hoped to teach one day.

Her dreams stopped on Monday when her heart stopped after going in cardiac arrest.

"They worked on her for about 45 minutes and they just could not bring her back," says Evelyn. She went on to say, "Parents are not supposed to bury their children and certainly not when they are 19."
  
Evelyn now wants to warn others by sharing her daughter's story.

It's reported more than 200 people die each year in the US because of acetaminophen toxicity. Acetaminophen is not just in Tylenol, it is also in a number of cold and sinus medicines too.