How Many Days Can You Take Tylenol in a Row

Common cold, cough, and flu season 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, just deaths still occur from adventitious overdoses and thousands of people finish upwards in the emergency room. More than 600 products contain acetaminophen, and inadvertently combining them tin can nudge you lot into the red zone.

"People don't realize that these doses all add up, and before you know it y'all'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 Alliance.

Acetaminophen safe dosage basics

Acetaminophen controls pain and fever just 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 ways a person who cannot tolerate NSAIDs tin still take acetaminophen. It's 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 sick, too, but information technology takes a larger amount to reach a dangerous overdose. Taking likewise much acetaminophen can damage the liver, sometimes leading to a liver transplant or expiry.

The body breaks downwards most of the acetaminophen in a normal dose and eliminates information technology in the urine. But some of the drug is converted into a byproduct that is toxic to the liver. If you have besides much—all at one time or over a menses of days—more toxin can build up than the body can handle.

For the average healthy adult, the mostly recommended maximum daily dose is no more than than 4,000 milligrams (mg) from all sources. Only in some people, doses close to the 4,000 mg daily limit for adults could still be toxic to the liver. It'due south safest to take just what you need, and to not exceed 3,000 mg a day whenever possible, especially if you lot utilise acetaminophen oft.

How to stay within limits

If y'all always have concerns about how much acetaminophen y'all can tolerate based on your age, trunk size, and health status, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Hither are some full general precautions for avoiding an adventitious overdose of acetaminophen.

• Cold and flu remedies count.  When you achieve for an over-the-counter coughing, cold, or flu product, take a await at the label. Does it contain 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 piddling actress to the recommended dose. A pocket-sized-bodied person should stay on the low end of the recommended dose range (3,000 mg).
• Easy on the alcohol.  Drinking alcohol causes the liver to convert more of the acetaminophen you take into toxic byproducts. Men should non accept more than 2 standard drinks per mean solar day when taking acetaminophen (one drink per day for women).
• Know if your medications collaborate.  Ask your doc or chemist if whatsoever of your prescription medications could collaborate desperately with acetaminophen.

How much should you worry?

Tens of thousands of people become sick every year from taking too much acetaminophen. In a smaller number of cases—several hundred per twelvemonth—it leads to death. Only it need not happen to you. "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 time?	1 or ii	1 or 2	1 or 2
Accept how often?	Every 4 to half-dozen hours	Every 4 to 6 hours	Every viii hours
Safest maximum daily dose for nearly adults	viii pills	6 pills	four pills
Never take more than this in a 24-hour period	12 pills (3900 mg)	eight pills (4000 mg)	six pills (3900 mg)

The maximum daily dose for a healthy adult who weighs at to the lowest degree 150 pounds is 4,000 milligrams (mg). Still, in some people, taking the maximum daily dose for extended periods can seriously impairment the liver. It's best to accept the lowest dose necessary and stay closer to 3,000 mg per day as your maximum dose. If you need to take high doses of acetaminophen for chronic pain, check with your medico first.

For therapy options across 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

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

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