Tylenol

Tylenol is used for reducing pain and fever. It is very effective to treat many conditions like headache, muscle aches, arthritis, backache, toothaches, colds and fevers. The medication can be used for other purposes than those that are listed above.

Don’t ever take the medication without the consent of your doctor and be careful if you drink alcoholic beverages or you are victim of alcoholic liver disease. In such cases, you cannot take the medication or if it is essential then you should take lower dose or you have to get special monitoring from your doctor. Inform your doctor if you have kidney disease or liver disease, and you need special dosage adjustment. Tylenol belongs to FDA pregnancy category B which can cause harm to fetus so first talk with your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to be pregnant. The medication appears in the milk of nursing mother, but it is safe. If you are breast-feeding a baby then first discuss with your doctor.



Take the medication as prescribed to you by your doctor and if you cannot understand the instruction then you can get help from your pharmacist. You should take each dose with a glass of water. The medication can be taken with or without food. If you are taking the liquid form of medication then get a measuring spoon for taking correct amount of dose. You should use Tylenol on short term basis if you have fever. Take it for up to 3 days and if you have pain then you can take it for up to 10 days. Place the medication at room temperature and away from heat and moisture.

Take the medication regularly, and if you miss a dose then take it as soon as you remember and if the time is near to take next scheduled dose then skip the missed dose and go back to your regular scheduled doses. Don’t try to take double doses at the same time. If you suspect overdose then get emergency medical help. The symptoms of overdose include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, seizures, confusion abdominal pain, and irregular heartbeat. You should avoid alcohol while taking Tylenol because it can damage the liver.

If you experience any of the following serious side effects then get emergency medical help. These include difficulty in breathing, closing of throat, swelling of lips, tongue, or face, or hives, liver damage, and blood problems. There are many other side effects that are not listed above.
You should take care while taking the medication and don’t take more than the recommended amount of acetaminophen per dose. Sometimes the medication may cause false glucose test and if you have diabetes then tell your doctor in advance. There are certain drugs which can interact with Tylenol so you should tell your doctor if you are using other drugs. If you need additional information about Tylenol, then you can get from your pharmacist or your health professional.