Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow It WorksHow Fast It WorksHow Long It WorksBreastfeedingUsing It Safely

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

How It Works

How Fast It Works

How Long It Works

Breastfeeding

Using It Safely

Tylenol (acetaminophen)is an over-the-counter drug used to temporarily relieve mild pain and aches andlower fever. Tylenol starts working within as little as 15 minutes, depending on how it is taken. The therapeutic effect lasts four to eight hours.

Different formulations of Tylenol can affect how long it takes to feel the effects and how soon you need to take the next dose.

This article describes the different formulations of Tylenol, including how fast and long each works. It also offers guidance on how to use acetaminophen safely in adults and children.

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How Tylenol Affects Your Body

Tylenol is an over-the-counter (OTC) drug containingacetaminophenthat has analgesic (pain-reducing) andantipyretic(fever-reducing) properties.

While the mechanism of action of Tylenol is poorly understood, it is known to block an enzyme calledcyclooxygenase(COX)that mediates pain and inflammation in the body.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)like aspirin andAdvil (ibuprofen)also act on COX, but Tylenol only acts on thecentral nervous systemwhile NSAIDs act on the entire body.

There are many different formulations of Tylenol that vary in their dosage and ingredients, including:

While not available as a Tylenol product, there are effervescent acetaminophen tablets that you can dissolve in water much like Alka-Selzer. There are also suppositories containing acetaminophen you can insert into the rectum that are more quickly absorbed in rectal tissues compared to oral drugs that are absorbed in the stomach.

How Does Tylenol Work?

How Long Before Tylenol Starts Working

The time it takes Tylenol to start working depends on the formulation you are using. This is known as the onset of action.

When used for pain relief, the expected onset of action is as follows:

While the amount of acetaminophen you take can influence the drug’s effectiveness, it doesn’t affect the onset of action. Whether you take 500, 650, or 1,000 mg of a specific formulation, the onset of action will be more or less the same.

It also generally takes longer for Tylenol to lower a fever than to relieve pain.

How Long Does Tylenol Last?

Tylenol’s effects typically last four to six hours with regular strength formulations. Extended-release formulations can last about eight hours.The time during which the drug works is called the duration of action.

For instance, Tylenol 8-Hour Arthritis Pain Relief is manufactured in layers with special coatings that break down slowly in the digestive tract. In contrast, Tylenol Extra Strength Rapid Release is manufactured with tiny drilled holes on the capsule that release the drug faster.

Here are examples of what to expect in terms of the duration of action of Tylenol:

What Is the Half-Life of Tylenol?

How Long Does Tylenol Last in Breast Milk?

When a lactating person takes Tylenol, the level of acetaminophen in breast milk peaks within about one to two hours. However, the drug is quickly excreted and becomes undetectable in breast milk after 12 hours.

Acetaminophen is a good choice for pain and fever if you are nursing due to the small amount of drug that passes into your breast milk. Moreover, acetaminophen has few adverse effects in nursing infants (and is even sometimes given to infants in the form of Infant Liquid Tylenol).

How to Take Tylenol Safely

Tylenol is safe when taken as directed. Read the package instructions carefully and, if there are parts you don’t understand, speak with your pharmacist.

Here are things to remember when using Tylenol in adults or children:

Taking more than the recommended dose can causeliver damage. This is especially true if you take Tylenol with alcohol. Tylenol overdose is today the leading cause of drug-induced liver injury in the United States.

You may be at an increased risk of Tylenol-induced liver damage if:

To avoid liver injury, read the product label of any drug you take to see if it contains acetaminophen or paracetamol (the term used for acetaminophen in Europe, Australia, India, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand).

Can You Take Tylenol Every Day?You can usually take acetaminophen safely on a daily basis for pain if you take no more than 3,000 mg per day. While the maximum daily dose in adults is 4,000 mg, limiting your daily intake to no more the 3,000 mg reduces the risk of liver injury.With that said, it is likelyunsafeto use Tylenol on a regular basis if you drink three or more alcoholic beverages per day. This is because alcohol damages the liver, and acetaminophen can worsen the damage.

Can You Take Tylenol Every Day?

You can usually take acetaminophen safely on a daily basis for pain if you take no more than 3,000 mg per day. While the maximum daily dose in adults is 4,000 mg, limiting your daily intake to no more the 3,000 mg reduces the risk of liver injury.With that said, it is likelyunsafeto use Tylenol on a regular basis if you drink three or more alcoholic beverages per day. This is because alcohol damages the liver, and acetaminophen can worsen the damage.

You can usually take acetaminophen safely on a daily basis for pain if you take no more than 3,000 mg per day. While the maximum daily dose in adults is 4,000 mg, limiting your daily intake to no more the 3,000 mg reduces the risk of liver injury.

With that said, it is likelyunsafeto use Tylenol on a regular basis if you drink three or more alcoholic beverages per day. This is because alcohol damages the liver, and acetaminophen can worsen the damage.

Summary

Tylenol (acetaminophen) is an OTC medication commonly used to treat minor pain, headaches, and fevers. There are several different formulations that vary in strength and dosing.

Tylenol’s therapeutic effect typically lasts four to six hours, though taking an extended-release formulation or a larger dose can prolong the effects to about eight hours.

Be sure to read medicine labels to identify all OTC products that contain acetaminophen. In adults, the total daily dose of acetaminophen should not exceed 4,000 milligrams from all sources, as this can lead to liver damage.

12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.DailyMed.Label: Tylenol Regular Strength- acetaminophen tablet, film coated.Rathi R, Shanshita, Kumar A, et al.Advancements in rectal drug delivery systems: clinical trials, and patents perspective.Pharmaceutics.2022 Oct;14(10):2210. doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics14102210Myers A, Gelotte C, Zuckerman A, et al.Analgesic onset and efficacy of a fast-acting formulation of acetaminophen in a postoperative dental impaction pain model.Curr Med Res Opinion.2024;40(2):267–277. doi:10.1080/03007995.2023.2294946DailyMed.Label: Tylenol 8 HR Arthritis Pain- acetaminophen tablet, extended release.Twycross R, Pace V, Mihalyo M, Wilcock A.Acetaminophen (paracetamol).J Pain Symptom Management.2013;46(5):747-755. doi:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2013.08.001Tronnes J, Solum S.Is IV acetaminophen superior to rectal suppository acetaminophen for the treatment of postoperative pain in children unable to take oral medications?Evidence Based Pract.2019;22(6):22-23. doi:10.1097/EBP.0000000000000303Andrade C.The practical importance of half-life in psychopharmacology.J Clin Psychiatry. 2022;83(4):22f14584. doi:10.4088/JCP.22f14584National Library of Medicine Drugs and Lactation Database.Acetaminophen.MedlinePlus.Acetaminophen.Yan M, Huo Y, Yin S, Hu H.Mechanisms of acetaminophen-induced liver injury and its implications for therapeutic interventions.Redox Biol.2018 Jul;17:274–283. doi:10.1016/j.redox.2018.04.019Alberta Health Services (Canada).Acetaminophen: care instructions.Government of Canada.Acetaminophen: know your dose.

12 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.DailyMed.Label: Tylenol Regular Strength- acetaminophen tablet, film coated.Rathi R, Shanshita, Kumar A, et al.Advancements in rectal drug delivery systems: clinical trials, and patents perspective.Pharmaceutics.2022 Oct;14(10):2210. doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics14102210Myers A, Gelotte C, Zuckerman A, et al.Analgesic onset and efficacy of a fast-acting formulation of acetaminophen in a postoperative dental impaction pain model.Curr Med Res Opinion.2024;40(2):267–277. doi:10.1080/03007995.2023.2294946DailyMed.Label: Tylenol 8 HR Arthritis Pain- acetaminophen tablet, extended release.Twycross R, Pace V, Mihalyo M, Wilcock A.Acetaminophen (paracetamol).J Pain Symptom Management.2013;46(5):747-755. doi:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2013.08.001Tronnes J, Solum S.Is IV acetaminophen superior to rectal suppository acetaminophen for the treatment of postoperative pain in children unable to take oral medications?Evidence Based Pract.2019;22(6):22-23. doi:10.1097/EBP.0000000000000303Andrade C.The practical importance of half-life in psychopharmacology.J Clin Psychiatry. 2022;83(4):22f14584. doi:10.4088/JCP.22f14584National Library of Medicine Drugs and Lactation Database.Acetaminophen.MedlinePlus.Acetaminophen.Yan M, Huo Y, Yin S, Hu H.Mechanisms of acetaminophen-induced liver injury and its implications for therapeutic interventions.Redox Biol.2018 Jul;17:274–283. doi:10.1016/j.redox.2018.04.019Alberta Health Services (Canada).Acetaminophen: care instructions.Government of Canada.Acetaminophen: know your dose.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

DailyMed.Label: Tylenol Regular Strength- acetaminophen tablet, film coated.Rathi R, Shanshita, Kumar A, et al.Advancements in rectal drug delivery systems: clinical trials, and patents perspective.Pharmaceutics.2022 Oct;14(10):2210. doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics14102210Myers A, Gelotte C, Zuckerman A, et al.Analgesic onset and efficacy of a fast-acting formulation of acetaminophen in a postoperative dental impaction pain model.Curr Med Res Opinion.2024;40(2):267–277. doi:10.1080/03007995.2023.2294946DailyMed.Label: Tylenol 8 HR Arthritis Pain- acetaminophen tablet, extended release.Twycross R, Pace V, Mihalyo M, Wilcock A.Acetaminophen (paracetamol).J Pain Symptom Management.2013;46(5):747-755. doi:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2013.08.001Tronnes J, Solum S.Is IV acetaminophen superior to rectal suppository acetaminophen for the treatment of postoperative pain in children unable to take oral medications?Evidence Based Pract.2019;22(6):22-23. doi:10.1097/EBP.0000000000000303Andrade C.The practical importance of half-life in psychopharmacology.J Clin Psychiatry. 2022;83(4):22f14584. doi:10.4088/JCP.22f14584National Library of Medicine Drugs and Lactation Database.Acetaminophen.MedlinePlus.Acetaminophen.Yan M, Huo Y, Yin S, Hu H.Mechanisms of acetaminophen-induced liver injury and its implications for therapeutic interventions.Redox Biol.2018 Jul;17:274–283. doi:10.1016/j.redox.2018.04.019Alberta Health Services (Canada).Acetaminophen: care instructions.Government of Canada.Acetaminophen: know your dose.

DailyMed.Label: Tylenol Regular Strength- acetaminophen tablet, film coated.

Rathi R, Shanshita, Kumar A, et al.Advancements in rectal drug delivery systems: clinical trials, and patents perspective.Pharmaceutics.2022 Oct;14(10):2210. doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics14102210

Myers A, Gelotte C, Zuckerman A, et al.Analgesic onset and efficacy of a fast-acting formulation of acetaminophen in a postoperative dental impaction pain model.Curr Med Res Opinion.2024;40(2):267–277. doi:10.1080/03007995.2023.2294946

DailyMed.Label: Tylenol 8 HR Arthritis Pain- acetaminophen tablet, extended release.

Twycross R, Pace V, Mihalyo M, Wilcock A.Acetaminophen (paracetamol).J Pain Symptom Management.2013;46(5):747-755. doi:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2013.08.001

Tronnes J, Solum S.Is IV acetaminophen superior to rectal suppository acetaminophen for the treatment of postoperative pain in children unable to take oral medications?Evidence Based Pract.2019;22(6):22-23. doi:10.1097/EBP.0000000000000303

Andrade C.The practical importance of half-life in psychopharmacology.J Clin Psychiatry. 2022;83(4):22f14584. doi:10.4088/JCP.22f14584

National Library of Medicine Drugs and Lactation Database.Acetaminophen.

MedlinePlus.Acetaminophen.

Yan M, Huo Y, Yin S, Hu H.Mechanisms of acetaminophen-induced liver injury and its implications for therapeutic interventions.Redox Biol.2018 Jul;17:274–283. doi:10.1016/j.redox.2018.04.019

Alberta Health Services (Canada).Acetaminophen: care instructions.

Government of Canada.Acetaminophen: know your dose.

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