These two drugs have different mechanisms of action in the body. Tylenol is the brand name for the drug acetaminophen, and it works by disrupting pain signals in the body. NSAIDs alleviate pain while reducing inflammation. They work by preventing the production of a hormone that controls inflammation. This article outlines the various uses of Tylenol and NSAIDs, and looks at the possible side effects and risks of both.
We also provide information on which drug is more effective for treating fevers. Tylenol is an analgesic. This is a class of drugs that provide pain relief by disrupting nerve signals that trigger pain.
Tylenol is also an antipyretic, meaning it may reduce fevers. A person may use Tylenol to ease the following symptoms :. For example, people may experience severe liver damage by:.
Acetaminophen is the active ingredient in Tylenol and various other products, including Vicks and NyQuil. People who take multiple medications should check the product labels to ensure that they do not exceed the 4, mg daily limit of acetaminophen.
What is Ibuprofen? Sign up for ibuprofen price alerts and find out when the price changes! Get price alerts. Acetaminophen and ibuprofen are both effective pain relievers that are FDA-approved to treat mild to moderate pain and fever.
Examples of mild to moderate pain include headaches, back pain, toothaches, muscle aches, sprains, and menstrual cramps. Acetaminophen is only indicated for the temporary treatment of pain and fever. However, it also has off-label uses for arthritis, migraines, and dysmenorrhea painful menstruation. Acetaminophen may not be as effective as other drugs for these off-label uses. Ibuprofen can be used to treat general acute pain and fever. It is also labeled to treat pain and inflammation from arthritis , migraines , and dysmenorrhea.
Research has also shown that acetaminophen and ibuprofen can be used to treat patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants. The ductus arteriosus is a major blood vessel in the infant heart that normally closes after birth. However, in some babies, this blood vessel remains open and can cause heart complications. Acetaminophen and ibuprofen may have differences in effectiveness when treating fever and different types of pain.
They are both usually taken multiple times throughout the day for maximum symptom relief. In one review , ibuprofen was found to be similar or better than acetaminophen for treating pain and fever in adults and children. Both drugs were also found to be equally safe.
This review included 85 different studies in adults and children. When it comes to chronic pain conditions, ibuprofen has been shown to be more effective. In one study , ibuprofen was found to be more effective than acetaminophen for treating pain from recurring migraines and osteoarthritis.
Another study concluded similar results and found that paracetamol another name for acetaminophen had better pain relief and tolerability than acetaminophen for osteoarthritis. Because both drugs work in different ways, one may be preferred over the other for different conditions.
It is best to seek medical advice from a healthcare professional if you experience pain or fever. Sign up for acetaminophen price alerts and find out when the price changes! Acetaminophen can be purchased over the counter and is available in generic and branded forms.
Medicare and most insurance plans may not cover acetaminophen because of its widespread availability without a prescription. Get the SingleCare prescription discount card. In general, Medicare and most insurance plans will cover ibuprofen. But medical information is always changing, and some information given here may be out of date. For regularly updated information on a variety of health topics, please visit familydoctor. Over-the-counter OTC, for short medicines are medicines that you can buy without a prescription from your doctor.
OTC pain relievers for adults can be divided into two groups: acetaminophen one brand name: Tylenol and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs, for short. Some products contain both aspirin and acetaminophen one brand name: Extra Strength Excedrin. Topical pain relievers are creams, lotions, or sprays that you put on your skin to relieve pain from sore muscles and arthritis.
Some examples include Aspercreme, Ben-Gay, and Zostrix. Some of these contain a medicine like aspirin, but there is no evidence that putting aspirin on skin works. Other topical medicines "mask" the feelings of pain by making the skin feel warm or cold. Others block the "pain message" from reaching the brain. These topical medicines generally are safe, even with long-term use. They may be an alternative for people who cannot or do not want to use pills to relieve pain.
If an OTC medicine does not help your pain or fever, call your doctor. If you have been taking an OTC medicine for more than a couple of days for fever or a couple of weeks for pain, call your doctor. These may be signs that you have a more serious problem or that you need a prescription medicine. All medicines can have side effects. However, side effects are usually not a problem for healthy people who only use pain relievers once in a while.
It is not clear, however, whether the trade-offs between benefits and harms of NSAIDs are preferable to those of paracetamol paracetamol is also called acetaminophen. Search strategy: Medline Silverplatter, Embase databases were searched up until Sept Reference lists of identified articles were also searched.
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