THE FDA is poised to ban prescription painkillers Vicodin and Percocet, which combine acetaminophen with an opiate narcotic. An FDA report says the potential dangers of this combination exceed the benefit to patients.

The report found that severe liver damage, or even death, can result from taking Vicodin or Percocet. They are also highly addictive. According to the FDA, these drugs cause about 400 deaths per year, attributed to either overdoses or liver damage.

Vicodin combines hydrocodone with acetaminophen; Percocet combines oxycodone with acetaminophen. Some of the notable celebrities who have admitted addiction to one or both of these drugs include John McCain’s wife, Cindy; rapper Eminem; and comedian Artie Lange.

The recommended ban will also apply to seven other acetaminophen/narcotic combination drugs.

While alternative painkillers like Percodan, which combine opiate narcotics with aspirin (rather than liver-damaging acetaminophen), are available on the market, they had been largely replaced by Percocet and Vicodin for post-operative pain, because aspirin can interfere with platelet function and lead to excessive bleeding after surgery.