What are the uses of Tylenol? Side effects and precautions when using Tylenol

Tylenol medicine with the main ingredient is paracetamol belongs to the group of medicines without a doctor's prescription. So how does Tylenol work? What are the side effects and precautions when using the drug that patients need to pay attention to? Let's learn about this topic with SignsSymptomsList in the article below!

Referring to the use of Tylenol, it is impossible not to mention its quick pain relief and fever reduction, which can be used for both adults and children. The drug is on the list of over-the-counter drugs. However, the drug still causes some side effects as well as poisoning if the patient takes the wrong dose. 

What is Tylenol?

Tylenol contains the active ingredient paracetamol or acetaminophen. This is a familiar ingredient with the main effect of helping to relieve pain and reduce fever quickly.

The drug is in the form of tablets. The drug is packaged in blister packs, 10 tablets in each blister.

Tylenol is manufactured by many pharmaceutical companies. Commonly there are products with different dosage forms as follows:

• Tylenol 8 Hour product in extended release tablet form, contains paracetamol 650 mg.
• The product Tylenol Extra Strength is a tablet with a dose of paracetamol 500 mg in each tablet.
• Tylenol Cold & Flu Severe tablets each contain paracetamol 325 mg, Guaifenesin 200 mg, Dextromethorphan HBr and Phenylephrine HCl 5 mg.
• Tylenol Janssen products are prepared in the form of a solution with a sweet cherry flavor, easy to use for children under 12 years old, each bottle contains 60ml of solution.

The active ingredient Tylenol is paracetamol

Uses of Tylenol

What are the uses of Tylenol? Tylenol is used to reduce fever and relieve mild to moderate pain due to the following causes:

• Migraine headaches, tension headaches as well as a number of other headaches.
• Mild to moderate musculoskeletal pain.
• Flu, cold.
• Mild to moderate fever due to bacterial or viral infection.
• Nerve pain.
• Menstrual pain .

Depending on the patient's condition and pathology, the doctor will prescribe the drug in different doses. The level of pain or fever of the patient will be a reference to help the doctor prescribe medicine as well as give appropriate advice and instructions.

In addition, for patients using the drug for the first time, especially in children, doctors will be monitored during the first hours of using the drug. This helps doctors to promptly handle if the patient has a hypersensitivity reaction to the drug, avoiding harm to the patient's health.

For patients using other drugs, it is necessary to discuss with the doctor to adjust the appropriate dose, avoid overdose or affect the treatment goal.

What are the uses of Tylenol?

About dosage:

• For adults: Use a dose of 325 - 650 mg of paracetamol every 4-6 hours for fever and/or pain or 1 g of paracetamol every 6 hours. Only use up to 4 g/day. For people who regularly drink alcohol, the maximum recommended dose of the drug is 2 g / day.
• For children under 12 years old: Use 10-15 mg/kg/time every 4-6 hours. Do not take more than 5 doses/day and do not exceed a maximum dose of 75 mg/kg/day once. Children weighing more than 53 kg should not exceed the maximum tolerated dose of 4 g/day.

The drug is taken orally, with or without meals.

Tylenol side effects

During treatment, patients may experience some of the following side effects:

• Rashes, allergies, urticaria on the skin.
• Temporary hearing loss.
• Digestive disorders such as epigastric pain, abdominal distension, diarrhea ...
• Signs of toxicity to liver cells such as yellow eyes, yellow skin, nausea, dark urine… are common in middle-aged men who drink a lot of alcohol.

Depending on the patient's location, the allergic reaction on the skin can be mild or aggressive. Therefore, physicians should warn patients about signs of serious reactions such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), Lyell's syndrome, acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP), or gangrene syndrome. toxic skin (TEN).

Tylenol can cause digestive upset

In addition, patients when using an overdose of the drug can lead to poisoning and impaired liver function. Initial manifestations are nausea, abdominal pain, sweating or lethargy. It has been reported that a person with poisoning may appear completely normal within the first 24 hours. 

Later, the patient developed symptoms due to liver failure such as jaundice, hemorrhage, or pain in the right lower quadrant. In more severe cases, liver cells may be irreversibly necrotic.

Therefore, when using Tylenol, patients need to follow the dosage instructions. At the same time, if the drug is used in children, adult supervision and monitoring is required. 

If the patient shows symptoms of poisoning, it is necessary to stop using the drug immediately and contact the treating doctor for the earliest treatment.

Precautions while using Tylenol

Notes when using the drug

The main ingredient of the drug is paracetamol, which has anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic effects. However, some subjects are absolutely contraindicated to use the drug, including:

• Patients with deficiency or deficiency of the enzyme G6PD (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase).
• Patients with a history of hypersensitivity or allergy to any of the ingredients.

In addition, some patients need to be careful when using Tylenol, which are:

• Women in pregnancy and lactation.
• The patient has moderate to severe liver and kidney failure. When using the drug should be prescribed dosage and monitored by the treating doctor.
• Do not use the drug concurrently with other therapeutic drugs that also contain paracetamol.

Patients with liver failure, kidney failure should be careful when using Tylenol

Regarding drug interactions, patients should pay attention to the following when taking drugs:

• Alcohol used with paracetamol can increase damage to the liver, reduce liver function.
• It has been noted that anticonvulsants and isoniazid antibiotics at the same time as paracetamol may increase the risk of hepatotoxicity.
• Some drugs when used with paracetamol need to be monitored and adjusted by the doctor: Hydantoin, Carbamazepine and Diflunisal.

Precautions when storing Tylenol

When storing drugs, it should be noted:

• Read the instructions for storage and use carefully before using the medicine.
• Store the medicine box in a dry place, away from direct sunlight and keep the medicine at room temperature.
• If the drug shows signs of expiration, mold or watery, absolutely do not continue to use.

Above is the article of SignsSymptomsList about the use of Tylenol . Hopefully with the article, you can know the basic information about the effects, possible side effects as well as the notes you need to know during the use of Tylenol. When using any medicine, consult your doctor to be prescribed and use the most effective dose!