How Long Does Acetaminophen Work

Cold, coughing, and flu flavor is a good time to revisit the risks of acetaminophen—the pain and fever reliever in Tylenol and many other over-the-counter medications. Billions of doses of acetaminophen are consumed safely every year, but deaths yet occur from adventitious overdoses and thousands of people end upward in the emergency room. More than 600 products contain acetaminophen, and inadvertently combining them can nudge yous into the carmine zone.

"People don't realize that these doses all add up, and before y'all know it you've exceeded the recommended dose of acetaminophen," says Dr. Melisa Lai Becker, teacher in medicine at Harvard Medical School and a specialist in emergency medicine and toxicology at Harvard-affiliated Cambridge Health Brotherhood.

Acetaminophen safe dosage nuts

Acetaminophen controls hurting and fever but does non reduce inflammation, as does aspirin and the other widely consumed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, generics) and naproxen (Aleve, generics). Merely unlike NSAIDs, acetaminophen does non irritate the stomach and intestinal lining. That means a person who cannot tolerate NSAIDs can all the same take acetaminophen. It'due south an of import drug for controlling chronic pain in older adults.

The hitch is that acetaminophen also has a narrower window of safety compared with ibuprofen and naproxen. NSAIDs tin can make you ill, as well, but it takes a larger amount to reach a dangerous overdose. Taking too much acetaminophen can damage the liver, sometimes leading to a liver transplant or death.

The body breaks down near of the acetaminophen in a normal dose and eliminates it in the urine. But some of the drug is converted into a byproduct that is toxic to the liver. If yous have too much—all at one time or over a period of days—more toxin can build upward than the body tin can handle.

For the average healthy adult, the mostly recommended maximum daily dose is no more than 4,000 milligrams (mg) from all sources. But in some people, doses shut to the 4,000 mg daily limit for adults could still be toxic to the liver. It'southward safest to take only what you need, and to not exceed 3,000 mg a twenty-four hour period whenever possible, especially if you use acetaminophen often.

How to stay within limits

If you lot ever have concerns virtually how much acetaminophen you can tolerate based on your age, trunk size, and wellness status, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Here are some general precautions for avoiding an accidental overdose of acetaminophen.

• Cold and influenza remedies count.  When yous attain for an over-the-counter coughing, common cold, or flu product, take a expect at the label. Does it comprise acetaminophen?
• Know the milligrams in your pills.  In acetaminophen products available over the counter, each pill may contain 325, 500, or 650 milligrams of the drug. Be extra cautious when taking 500 or 650 milligram pills.
• Stick to recommended doses.  When taking acetaminophen, don't be tempted to add a lilliputian extra to the recommended dose. A small-bodied person should stay on the depression finish of the recommended dose range (3,000 mg).
• Piece of cake on the booze.  Drinking alcohol causes the liver to convert more of the acetaminophen y'all take into toxic byproducts. Men should non have more than two standard drinks per twenty-four hours when taking acetaminophen (1 beverage per mean solar day for women).
• Know if your medications collaborate.  Ask your doctor or pharmacist if any of your prescription medications could interact badly with acetaminophen.

How much should you worry?

Tens of thousands of people become sick every year from taking besides much acetaminophen. In a smaller number of cases—several hundred per year—it leads to decease. But information technology need not happen to y'all. "Read the labels and stick to the guidelines," Dr. Lai Becker advises.

Acetaminophen: How much can you take safely?
	325 mg	500 mg	650 mg extended release
Take how many pills at a fourth dimension?	1 or two	1 or 2	1 or 2
Have how often?	Every iv to 6 hours	Every iv to half dozen hours	Every 8 hours
Safest maximum daily dose for most adults	8 pills	half dozen pills	4 pills
Never take more than this in a 24-60 minutes period	12 pills (3900 mg)	8 pills (4000 mg)	vi pills (3900 mg)

The maximum daily dose for a healthy adult who weighs at to the lowest degree 150 pounds is iv,000 milligrams (mg). Notwithstanding, in some people, taking the maximum daily dose for extended periods can seriously harm the liver. Information technology's best to have the lowest dose necessary and stay closer to three,000 mg per day equally your maximum dose. If you need to take high doses of acetaminophen for chronic pain, check with your doctor showtime.

For therapy options beyond the standard approaches to managing pain, buy the Harvard Special Health Report Pain Relief: Natural and alternative remedies without drugs or surgery.

Image: AntonioGuillem/Getty Images

Source: https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/acetaminophen-safety-be-cautious-but-not-afraid

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