# Does Acetaminophen (Tylenol) work for you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 5, 2023, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-acetaminophen-tylenol-work-for-you/982213 "2023-04-05T18:02:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2023, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-acetaminophen-tylenol-work-for-you/982213/41 "2023-04-08T23:52:38Z")
For me, it’s all about Alleve. Anyone else? Any downsides specific to Alleve and/or worse than the others? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2023, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-acetaminophen-tylenol-work-for-you/982213/42 "2023-04-09T01:16:37Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > Any downsides specific to Alleve and/or worse than the others? Aleve is naproxen. In lower doses, it’s OTC, but at its maximum strength (500 mg) it’s prescription. It is longer acting than ibuprofen, often lasting 12 or more hours. Maximum recommended dosage in 24 hours is 1000 mg, in divided doses. It’s a propionic acid, just like ibuprofen. It’s not really better or worse than ibuprofen or other nsaids for relieving pain. Some folks find it works better than other NSAIDs, others say it doesn’t do a thing for them. It has the same side effect risk profile as ibuprofen and other NSAIDs. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2023, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-acetaminophen-tylenol-work-for-you/982213/43 "2023-04-09T04:34:09Z")
Me three. > [@What\_Exit](#): > > Ibuprofen does far more for me. I never find Tylenol does much of anything. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2023, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-acetaminophen-tylenol-work-for-you/982213/44 "2023-04-09T14:02:05Z")
I was given Tylenol as a kid, when i had a bad ear infection, and it did nothing. I resented that they wouldn’t give me aspirin, which worked. I should probably try it again. I keep aspirin around for headaches, but consider NSAIDs to be miracle drugs. I use both ibuprofen and naproxen, depending on the circumstances. I find ibuprofen a little more effective at the recommended OTC side, but if i take more naproxen it works great. (Yes, I’ve discussed this with my doctor.) And naproxen works longer. Since my annual blood tests showed a minor reduction in kidney function I’ve cut back on my NSAID use, but i still take them when something hurts much, and sometimes prophylactically. Since cutting back, my kidney function has improved slightly. (Could be coincidence, but at least my current NSAID use seems sustainable.) I also have severe gastric reflux issues, and I expect to be on PPIs for the rest of my life. I’m careful to only take NSAIDs on a full stomach. I threw out all the Tylenol in the house several years ago, but my husband seems to have bought more. I assume it works for him. Pretty much every drug works differently for him than for me, and we take a nearly disjoint set of OTC medications. And i take codeine cough syrup, which puts him to sleep. But dextromethorphan gives me disphoria and disassociation, and i can pay decent bridge and do decent actuarial work on codeine. I’m running low on cough syrup, and a little worried it will be hard to get a refill, what with the crack down on opiate drugs. I don’t use it often, and haven’t needed a refill in more than a decade. So i expect i can convince my doctor I’m not likely to abuse it. But i dunno what the current legal situation is. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-acetaminophen-tylenol-work-for-you/982213/45 "2023-04-10T16:32:41Z")
Tylenol is “OK” but if it’s a “one shot” type of pain reliever, I’ll reach for Advil. Far more effective for me. If I have to “rotate” pain killers then Tylenol does seem to do its job but not as effective if I need “once and done” pain relief. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-acetaminophen-tylenol-work-for-you/982213/46 "2023-04-10T16:34:29Z")
I take 81 mg ASA daily. However, ASA in children can be fatal and it’s murder on the stomach. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-acetaminophen-tylenol-work-for-you/982213/47 "2023-04-10T16:38:02Z")
What’s ASA? ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-acetaminophen-tylenol-work-for-you/982213/48 "2023-04-10T16:40:30Z")
Probably aspirin. > **[Aspirin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspirin)** > > Aspirin, also known as acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to reduce pain, fever, and/or inflammation, and as an antithrombotic. Specific inflammatory conditions which aspirin is used to treat include Kawasaki disease, pericarditis, and rheumatic fever. > Aspirin is also used long-term to help prevent further heart attacks, ischaemic strokes, and blood clots in people at high risk. For pain or fever, effects typically begin within 30 minutes. Aspi... ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-acetaminophen-tylenol-work-for-you/982213/49 "2023-04-10T17:19:55Z")
ASA is the medical ingredient in medications such as Aspirin. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-acetaminophen-tylenol-work-for-you/982213/50 "2023-04-10T17:53:43Z")
Acetaminophen works fine for me. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-acetaminophen-tylenol-work-for-you/982213/51 "2023-04-10T18:45:32Z")
I can’t take ibuprofen for medical reasons, so it’s Tylenol or nothing. It works ok, not great. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-acetaminophen-tylenol-work-for-you/982213/52 "2023-04-10T19:20:34Z")
ASA means “Associate of the Society of Actuaries” to me. 😜 It’s not a common name for the drug in the US, where “aspirin” lost its trademark status decades ago, and is the word commonly used by doctors when they are talking about acetylsalicylic acid. At least there’s a reason for that one. I never have understood why the same drug is called Acetaminophen in the US, but Paracetamol in most of the rest of the world. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-acetaminophen-tylenol-work-for-you/982213/53 "2023-04-10T19:26:03Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I never have understood why the same drug is called Acetaminophen in the US, but Paracetamol in most of the rest of the world. What? Ohhh, you mean [APAP](https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-220/apap-oral/details) Drug names give me a headache. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-acetaminophen-tylenol-work-for-you/982213/54 "2023-04-10T20:15:16Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Drug names give me a headache. Yeah, I’ve been prescribing them for over 4 decades and it’s a huge pain and not just in the head. Then of course I’ve had patients tell me they’re allergic to motrin but not ibuprofen which they tolerate but it doesn’t work, but advil works really well without problems for them. Ibuprofen is advil is motrin ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-acetaminophen-tylenol-work-for-you/982213/55 "2023-04-10T20:25:54Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > ASA means “Associate of the Society of Actuaries” to me. 😜 > > It’s not a common name for the drug in the US, where “aspirin” lost its trademark status decades ago, and is the word commonly used by doctors when they are talking about acetylsalicylic acid. > > At least there’s a reason for that one. I never have understood why the same drug is called Acetaminophen in the US, but Paracetamol in most of the rest of the world. When I posted “ASA” I meant to include all brands of medication that contain acetylsalicylic acid not just Aspirin brand. Sorry if I somehow confused people. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-acetaminophen-tylenol-work-for-you/982213/56 "2023-04-10T20:31:23Z")
“Aspirin” is not a brand. At least not in the USA now. It’s a non-technical signifier for a chemical compound, specifically acetylsalicylic acid. Much as “acetaminophen” is not a brand name, but is a non-technical signifier for para-hydroxy acetanilide. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-acetaminophen-tylenol-work-for-you/982213/57 "2023-04-10T20:45:17Z")
> [@Mallard](#): > > ASA is the medical ingredient in medications such as Aspirin. To be fully accurate, ASA \*\* **is** \*\* aspirin, not just a medical ingredient in it. As @puzzlegal said, Bayer lost the trademark to Aspirin decades ago in the US, so the generic term “aspirin” is widely used for any formulation of acetylsalicylic acid. But in around 80 other countries around the world, including Canada, Bayer retains the trademark and only they can use the brand name Aspirin™ (with a capital “A”). Hence ASA came into common use for the generics. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-acetaminophen-tylenol-work-for-you/982213/58 "2023-04-10T21:23:34Z")
I actually think Bayer lost the trademark during WWII, and the common name for that drug has been “aspirin” (not capitalized) ever since. I’ve literally never seen the drug referred to as “ASA” before. I have seen “acetylsalicylic acid”, but it is weird to call it that in the US. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-acetaminophen-tylenol-work-for-you/982213/59 "2023-04-10T21:28:55Z")
NSAIDs are a problem. Tylenol makes me feel weird(er) and doesn’t do much for pain. 2 of those 5mg oxys will do something for you but it will be difficult to get a refill. I keep hearing about people buying oxys on the street, and they’re probably just fentanyl now, but nobody is selling any drugs on my street. ---
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-acetaminophen-tylenol-work-for-you/982213/60 "2023-04-10T21:38:55Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Ibuprofen is advil is motrin I remember back in 1979 I worked for a young woman associate attorney. She got period cramps really, really bad. She would come to work when she had them because she couldn’t risk her new job, but she would sit at her desk sweating bullets, her face a shade of sickly whitish green. One day she came in and said her doctor had prescribed her this new drug: Motrin. She was skeptical it would help, having had no luck with aspirin or anything else. When the days of pain started, she took one. About twenty minutes later, she looked up from her desk with a look of astonishment: “They’re gone. The cramps are gone.” I hastily wrote down the name of this new wonder drug and asked my doctor for some, as I also got some bad cramps back then when I was 22. Motrin worked like a dream for me, too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-acetaminophen-tylenol-work-for-you/982213.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-acetaminophen-tylenol-work-for-you/982213.md?page=4)