Overdose warning

Acetaminophen typically begins to take effect within one to two hours. When should I not take acetaminophen and call my doctor? Ask a doctor or pharmacist before use if you have serious liver or kidney disease or chronic alcohol use (three or more drinks per day).

Acetaminophen is an analgesic, meaning it relieves pain. Acetaminophen is not an anti-inflammatory, so it does not ease swelling. For this reason, Tylenol Arthritis is best for osteoarthritis and not inflammatory types of arthritis such as rheumatoid, reactive, or gout.

Serious side effects

• Bloody or black, tarry stools.
• bloody or cloudy urine.
• fever with or without chills (not present before treatment and not caused by the condition being treated)
• pain in the lower back and/or side (severe and/or sharp)
• pinpoint red spots on the skin.
• skin rash, hives, or itching.

If the recommended amount doesn't do enough to ease your arthritis, ask your doctor for other pain relief options. Increasing your daily dose even a little beyond the 4,000 mg maximum may cause liver damage. Don't double-dose. Avoid taking more than one medicine containing acetaminophen at a time.

Take 2 extended release caplets every 8 hours, as needed. Swallow each caplet whole with water on an empty stomach. Do not crush, chew or dissolve the caplet. Do not take more than 4000 mg (6 caplets) in 24 hours.

Acetaminophen isn't meant to treat inflammation. These drugs treat various aches (headache, muscle ache and toothache) and reduce fever, but they aren't anti-inflammatory. Acetaminophen pain relievers also can damage your liver if they are overused.

In summary: Use NSAIDs like Advil or Aleve for chronic pain, pain from an injury or surgery, or other inflammatory pain like arthritis. Use Tylenol for mild pain like headache or to reduce fever.

As you may have guessed from the descriptions above, acetaminophen is best used for fever, aches and pains, but will not be very helpful if the pain is due to inflammation. Ibuprofen is more helpful for these symptoms when inflammation is the cause. Inflammation examples include menstrual cramps and arthritis.

It is considered safe to take acetaminophen every day as long as you follow the recommended dosage guidelines of taking it every 4 to 6 hours, only take what you need, and do not exceed the maximum dosage of 4,000 mg per day (note that some experts believe a maximum limit of 3,000 mg per day is safer for those who take ...

Keep in mind that some forms of acetaminophen, such as Tylenol PM, also contain an antihistamine. These products do cause sleepiness. However, it is the antihistamine that causes the drowsiness, not the acetaminophen.

Even when you stick to the recommended dose, you shouldn't take acetaminophen for more than 10 days for pain, or 3 days for fever. If you still feel like you need relief, call your doctor, nurse, orpharmacist. Adults should not get more than 4,000 milligrams of acetaminophen per day from all sources.