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Acetaminophen
What is acetaminophen?
Acetaminophen is a pain reliever and a fever reducer.
Acetaminophen is used to treat many conditions such as headache, muscle aches, arthritis, backache, toothaches, colds, and fevers.
Acetaminophen may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.
Precautions
Do not take acetaminophen without first talking to your doctor if you drink more than three alcoholic beverages per day or if you have had alcoholic liver disease. You may not be able to take acetaminophen, or you may require a lower dose or special monitoring.
Before taking acetaminophen, tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver disease. You may not be able to take acetaminophen, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you have either of these conditions.
Acetaminophen has not been formally assigned to a pregnancy category by the FDA. It is routinely used for short term pain relief and fever in all stages of pregnancy. Acetaminophen is believed to be safe in pregnancy when used intermittently for short durations. Acetaminophen should only be given during pregnancy when need has been clearly established.
Acetaminophen passes into breast milk. It appears to be safe for use during breast-feeding but should be avoided if possible. Talk to your doctor before taking acetaminophen if you are breast-feeding a baby.
If you are treating a child, read the package carefully and use a pediatric form of the medication if possible. Talk to a doctor first if the child is younger than 2 years of age.
Avoid alcohol during treatment with acetaminophen. Together, alcohol and acetaminophen can be damaging to the liver.
Be aware of the acetaminophen content of other over-the-counter and prescription products. Care should be taken to avoid taking more than the recommended amount of acetaminophen per dose or per day.
Instructions
Seek emergency medical attention.
Symptoms of an acetaminophen overdose include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, sweating, seizures, confusion, and an irregular heartbeat.
If you are taking acetaminophen on a regular schedule, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Wait the prescribed amount of time or as directed in the package labeling before taking another dose. Do not take a double dose.
If you are taking acetaminophen on an as-needed basis, missing a dose is not usually a problem. Take the dose as soon as you remember, and do not take another dose for the amount of time prescribed or as directed in the package labeling.
Side-effects
If you experience any of the following rare but serious side effects, stop taking acetaminophen and seek emergency medical attention or contact your doctor immediately:
- an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives);
- liver damage (yellowing of the skin or eyes, nausea, abdominal pain or discomfort, unusual bleeding or bruising, severe fatigue);
- blood problems (easy or unusual bleeding or bruising).
Other, less serious side effects are not known to occur.
Side effects other than those listed here may occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.
Interactions
Be aware of the acetaminophen content of other over-the-counter and prescription products. Care should be taken to avoid taking more than the recommended amount of acetaminophen per dose or per day.
Acetaminophen may cause false urine glucose test results. Talk to your doctor if you have diabetes and you notice changes in your glucose levels while taking acetaminophen.
Other medications may interact with acetaminophen. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines, including herbal products while taking acetaminophen.
Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Copyright 1996-2004 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version 2.05. Revision date 8/23/04