Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is an antipyretic (a drug taken to treat fever) and also an analgesic (pain relieving med). Typical dosage administered onto adults hovers at about 600 mg; taken once every nine hours. Such dose strengths are prescribed if you are taking the immediate release version of this med. Doses of extended / sustained release may vary based on intensity of pains. Also, for children – the dosage plan depends upon your child’s body weight, age and the severity of discomforts. In this light, it is a vital thing to know how long acetaminophen takes to start its work. Needful details are required prior to starting your treatment plan.
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is known to work on the extent your body makes prostaglandin; latter is a natural chemical your system produces while undergoing pains such as headache, toothache, joint pains, other forms of muscular discomforts, etc. In some parts of the world, acetaminophen is also called paracetamol. Most widely available brands include Tylenol, Apra, etc. Acetaminophen though works on COX enzymes (presumably booth COX – 1 as well as COX – 2), it is not labelled as NSAIDs like ibuprofen, aspirin and / or naproxen. This is due the unique method acetaminophen works on prostaglandins, COX enzymes, etc.
Most commonly administered dose strength is 600 mg thrice a day – for adults; this is for acetaminophen of the immediate release form. However, dosage strength of extended release version of this med can go upto 1,100 mg for an eight (8) hours’ time period. The dosages administered onto children are mild and also depends on several other factors such as weight and age of children. Hence, for children – especially aged from 14 to 17 years, dose strength of acetaminophen ranges at 15 mg per kilogram (kg) of body weight. In case of children aged more than 10 years but below 13 years: dosage can be maintained at 10 mg per kg of body weight, after checking with your child’s doctor.
How long does it take for acetaminophen (Tylenol) to start functioning?
Time taken for this drug to start working is largely influenced by the type of its formulation. As this drug is consumed orally, you may need to give it needful time to dissolve inside your gastrointestinal system. Soon after being processed in the gastric tract, the active ingredients of this med will start getting into your blood. If you have taken this drug on an empty tummy, the time taken for it to start its work varies for intravenous route, oral pills and orally disintegrating liquid form of acetaminophen.
In case you are administered acetaminophen through the intravenous route, active chemicals will start working in less than10 minute’s time. On the other hand, those who are taking oral pills of Tylenol may see it start working in 40 minutes. Lastly, the liquid form or orally disintegrating version of this med may take less than 25 minutes for its action to start.
If you are asked to take Tylenol along with a meal or soon after taking food, the time taken for its action can change a lot. People who develop adverse conditions / side effects such as nausea, vomiting or pain in lower abdomen (and other forms of abdominal discomforts) are often advised to take this drug along with food or with a glass of milk. In such cases, the drug and its key chemicals are known to take 2x longer time to start their work.
Last but not least, an overdose of acetaminophen can cause a few unwanted side effects such as inflammation of oral parts, breathing difficulties such as panting, wheezing, etc. Hence, it is a key thing to know the maximum permissible dosage value prior to starting your medication plan. It is considered a good practice to take this drug under the supervision and care of a qualified medical practitioner. Also, it is essential to know that acetaminophen (Tylenol) takes a longer duration to treat fever / increase in body temperature than it takes to manage bodily pains such as headaches / migraines, tooth pains, backache, pains in joints or those triggered by autoimmune conditions such as arthritis, etc.
Education: Master’s in Nursing (MSN) from Johns Hopkins University. Experience: 7 years writing for online health portals and nursing journals, specializing in patient education and chronic illness management.
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