Acetaminophen is a common OTC pain medication used worldwide to relieve mild to moderate pain and reduce fever. Headache, muscle aches, back pain, and menstrual pain are some of the common conditions acetaminophen can be used for using medication management app. Do not give any acetaminophen to infants under 8 weeks unless directed by your physician! Always use weight-based dosing if you know your child’s.
Acetaminophen (APAP) is the most commonly used drug for the treatment of pain and fever around the world. At the same time, APAP can cause dose-related hepatocellular necrosis, responsible for nearly 500 deaths annually in the United States (US) alone, as well as 100,000 calls to US Poison Control C. The following substances are known to interfere with the Dexcom sensor: Medication used in the treatment of diseases including cancer and sickle cell anemia. If you are taking hydroxyurea, your sensor glucose readings will be higher than your actual glucose, which could result in missed hypoglycemia alerts or errors in diabetes management.
Acetaminophen is a pain reliever and a fever reducer. Acetaminophen is used to treat mild to moderate and pain, to treat moderate to severe pain in conjunction with opiates, or to reduce fever. Common conditions that acetaminophen treats include headache, muscle aches, arthritis, backache, toothaches, sore throat, colds, flu, and fevers.
Acetaminophen is a common OTC pain medication used worldwide to relieve mild to moderate pain and reduce fever. Headache, muscle aches, back pain, and menstrual pain are some of the common conditions acetaminophen can be used for using medication management app.
At recommended doses acetaminophen is one of the safest pain medications because unlike other pain relievers, it does not cause stomach or heart problems. For this reason, people who are allergic to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or opioids prefer acetaminophen for pain management.
Acetaminophen is also one of the few pain medications that are safe to use during pregnancy. But, as with all medications using acetaminophen may not be as safe as it seems. It may have some serious risks as well. And according to experts, the risks of using acetaminophen may be far more serious than we realize.
For the most part it could raise the risk of cardiovascular, liver damage, skin allergies, and other conditions.
In this post, we have outlined somecommon risks and benefits of acetaminophen. Read carefully to understand howusing this medication can possibly affect you.
ACETAMINOPHEN BENEFITS
Acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol in many parts of the world, can offer following benefits if taken in safe doses.
Safer Than Other Pain Relievers
Acetaminophen is safer than NSAIDs if taken as per the doctor’s advice. Also, if you don’t have active hepatitis, liver problems, or heavy drinking problems, there is a very slim chance that acetaminophen will harm you.
One of the times acetaminophen can become deadly is when it is combined with another drug because then the user will lose sight of how much of this medication they are taking. As a result they can end up experiencing all the wrong consequences.
Taking too much acetaminophen can result in serious health complications. But again, taking right dose will cause no harm. This is why acetaminophen has become the most widely used analgesic in the world.
On the other hand, NSAIDs come with the risks of developing kidney injury, bleeding, heart problems, and other issues.
Safer Choice for Heart Patients
Taking the right amount of acetaminophen using medication reminder app never has an ill effect on the cardiovascular system. So individuals with the risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or those with a history of heart problems can use acetaminophen without worrying about side effects.
Acetaminophen Appearance
On the other hand, prolonged use or higher doses of NSAIDs can increase the risk of blood pressure and heart-related issues. That’s not to say you should not use NSAIDs at all. In fact, they provide a great solution for treating surgery or acute injury pain. NSAID are only dangerous when regularly used for several weeks or months as it can increase the risk of blood pressure and severe cardiovascular issues.
Acetaminophen Is Safe to Use with Aspirin
Aspirin is an NSAID which many people use on a daily basis for heart-related issues. The main job of aspirin is to prevent blood clotting which it does by preventing platelets from sticking together. This, as a result, reduces risk of heart attack and stroke.
Doctors advise against combiningaspirin with non-aspirin NSAIDs because doing so will result in non-aspirinNSAIDs negating the positive effects of aspirin, making your aspirin therapycompletely futile.
Additionally, combining aspirin with non-aspirin NSAIDs for pain management can increase the risks of stomach bleeding, gastritis, kidney injury, and other conditions. So if you are on aspirin and need to manage your pain as well, acetaminophen offers the best solution because it is known to have no negative interactions with aspirin.
ACETAMINOPHEN RISKS
Acetaminophen Approved Used
Acetaminophen is generally a safe drug but its improper use can cause several health issues. Therefore, it is important that you use acetaminophen precisely as prescribed by specialists.
The issues caused byacetaminophen include:
Liver Damage
Liver damage is perhaps the mostcommon risk of acetaminophen overdose.
When you take acetaminophen a large part of it is metabolized by the liver and leaves your system through urination. During this process, some of acetaminophen also turns into a toxic metabolite that can harm your liver. Overdosing on acetaminophen can increase the amount of this toxic substance in the liver, which in severe cases, can lead to death.
According to the Food and DrugAdministration (FDA), acetaminophen is one of the leading causes of liverfailure in the U.S. and a large portion of these cases is a result ofaccidental overdoses.
The fact that acetaminophen ispresent in around 600 prescription and non-prescription drugs increases thepossibility of accidental overdose. Particularly for patients taking more thanone acetaminophen-containing drugs at once.
Asthma, Autism, and ADHD in Kids
Though using acetaminophen during pregnancy is considered safe, overdosing on it can be extremely dangerous. Experts say that the use of acetaminophen by expectant mothers can increase the risk of asthma in their children.
However, experts also say this does not warrant changes to current acetaminophen recommendations for expectant mothers, which means that instead of quitting this med, they should consult with their doctors to determine the safe dose they can take using pill tracker app.
Apart from asthma, prenatalexposure to acetaminophen during pregnancy can lead their children to develop autismand attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
So, Is There A Way to Make Acetaminophen Use Less Risky?
In order to reduce acetaminophen’s possible side effects, follow these recommendations:
- Use only one acetaminophen-containingproduct at one time
- Take the medication exactlyas prescribed by your doctor
- Keep your daily dose ofacetaminophen below 4,000 milligrams
- Inform your specialist ifyou have liver disease or have experienced liver issues in the past
- Avoid taking acetaminophenif you are a heavy alcohol drinker
- Pregnant women should notuse acetaminophen without doctor’s consultation
And if you start to notice anyacetaminophen side effects, contact your doctor immediately.
Pain girl asked
I just had an oxycodne at 1am for severe arthritis pain. Can I take no 5 hrs later a Tylenol and a benedryl to help me sleep
Answer
Tylenol (acetaminophen) and oxycodone may be safely taken together. There is no listed or reported interaction between the two medications.
In fact, oxycodone and Tylenol (acetaminophen) are combined in multiple prescription products including:
- Roxicet
- Endocet
- Tylox
- Percocet
If you have a prescription for oxycodone that does not contain Tylenol (acetaminophen), you may safely take it in addition to your oxycodone. If your prescription product already contains Tylenol (acetaminophen), you generally should not take any additional without first speaking with your doctor.
In regard to other oxycodone interactions, we wrote about combining it with Benadryl (diphenhydramine) in another article, which can be found here.