Should You Take Acetaminophen or Tylenol for Back Pain? (2023)

FAQs

Is acetaminophen better for back pain? ›

During back-pain flare-ups, you may also need an over-the-counter pain reliever to help you through. Doctors often suggest you first try acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) because it is gentler on the stomach, even though NSAIDs tend to work better for back pain.

Official answer. Yes, acetaminophen is the same as Tylenol. Acetaminophen is the generic name for the brand name medication Tylenol, made by McNeil Consumer. Acetaminophen is a pain reliever for mild to moderate pain, such as headaches, muscles aches, backache, and toothaches, and fevers.

Acetaminophen (Tylenol)

But it doesn't reduce inflammation in the body. Acetaminophen tends to be gentler on the stomach than other meds. But while it can be helpful in relieving toothaches, headaches, and pain after surgery, there's not a lot of evidence to indicate it works as well for back pain.

Is it harmful to take Tylenol every day? In short, no — most people can safely take Tylenol within recommended doses every day.

Adults and children 12 years and older: Take 2 caplets every 4 hours, as required. Do not take more than 8 caplets in 24 hours.

As you may have guessed from the descriptions above, acetaminophen is best used for fever, aches and pains, but will not be very helpful if the pain is due to inflammation. Ibuprofen is more helpful for these symptoms when inflammation is the cause.

Acetaminophen is generally considered safer than other pain relievers. It doesn't cause side effects such as stomach pain and bleeding.

If you're experiencing back pain that's not responding to pain relievers, make an appointment with your doctor. They can recommend medications and other treatments that may be effective for your specific type of back pain.

Taking too much acetaminophen can damage the liver, sometimes leading to a liver transplant or death. The body breaks down most of the acetaminophen in a normal dose and eliminates it in the urine. But some of the drug is converted into a byproduct that is toxic to the liver.

Why do hospitals use Tylenol instead of ibuprofen? ›

Hospitals tend to prefer acetaminophen (Tylenol) as a fever reducer and pain reliever because it has fewer side effects than ibuprofen (Advil).

1 The difference in Tylenol products has to do with the amount of acetaminophen in each tablet, capsule, or gelcap. This is measured in milligrams (mg). Each regular strength Tylenol contains 325 mg acetaminophen. Each Extra Strength Tylenol contains 500 mg acetaminophen.

If NSAIDs don't work or aren't recommended for a particular patient, we might recommend skeletal muscle relaxers to relieve back pain. One medication that's no longer a first-line treatment recommendation for back pain is acetaminophen (Tylenol).

Acetaminophen relieves fever and headaches, and other common aches and pains. It does not relieve inflammation.

Pain Medicine Physicians

Prescribe and manage medications used to treat back pain. Offer traditional back injections. Perform more advanced procedures such as implanting pain pumps. Prescribe physical therapy.

Second, do not lie down for 30-60 minutes after taking these pills.

The FDA recommends that an adult shouldn't take more than 3,000 mg of acetaminophen per day unless directed otherwise by their healthcare professional. Don't take Tylenol for more than 10 days in a row unless you've been instructed to do so by your doctor.

Acetaminophen is used to reduce fever and treat pain. Your child's symptoms should get better in 15 to 30 minutes after taking a dose.

You should only take 1-2 pills of 500-mg Tylenol or acetaminophen at a time and no more than 6 pills in a 24-hour period. The maximum daily dose of Tylenol for a healthy adult who weighs at least 150 pounds is 4,000 mg.

If you have been dealing with lower back pain, your doctor may have advised you to take painkillers to ease the pain. But new research has suggested that popping a painkiller might worsen acute pain and make it last longer, turning it into chronic pain.

How should I sleep with lower back pain? ›

The best sleeping position for lower back pain is on your side with a partial bend in the knees. View Source . Keeping the knees bent helps balance the body and reduces pressure on the lumbar spine. Many people find it helpful to put a small pillow between their knees to make this position more comfortable.

Sit with a back support (such as a rolled-up towel) at the curve of your back. Keep your hips and knees at a right angle. (Use a foot rest or stool if necessary.) Your legs should not be crossed and your feet should be flat on the floor.

Heat therapy can help ease acute and chronic back pain. A person should apply heat to their back to help relax the muscles, reducing pain. Applying heat to the muscles can cause the blood vessels to dilate, improving circulation. This promotes the healing of any damaged muscle.

When you have back pain, your doctor may recommend muscle relaxants—a group of drugs that are typically obtained with a doctor's prescription. These drugs have the potential to decrease tension and spasm within a sore muscle, which may reduce pain.

Opioids do provide relief by blocking pain. But as a result, your body reacts by increasing the number of receptors to try to get the pain signal through again. So when the drug wears off, you will experience more pain for about three days.

Whether you think your back pain is acute or chronic, anytime you're experiencing pain that lasts longer than two weeks without any improvement in symptoms, we strongly suggest you get the care you need. If you think you need care right away, you can also go to your nearest orthopedic urgent care location.

The Spine Is Complex – Your spine is home to vertebrae, nerves, tendons, ligaments and other soft tissues, and all of these parts are susceptible to injury or degeneration. It can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what is wrong because there are so many different structures in a given location.

Adults and teenagers—1200 milligrams (mg) up to 3200 mg per day divided into three or four equal doses. Children—Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor.

Examples of medications that can increase the risk of side effects from acetaminophen include phenobarbital, phenytoin (Dilantin), and carbamazepine (Tegretol). These medications may make liver damage from acetaminophen more likely. Before starting acetaminophen, talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist.

NSAIDs such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), and naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox) may be more effective than acetaminophen for certain conditions because they reduce inflammation as well as relieve pain.

What is the new warning on Tylenol? ›

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently issued a public safety communication on acetaminophen, the active ingredient found in Tylenol and other over-the-counter pain reliever, linking the commonly-used painkiller ingredient to three rare, but serious skin reactions.

Naproxen. Naproxen (Aleve) is the most powerful anti-inflammatory pain reliever available without a prescription. It is especially effective for sprains, sunburns and arthritis and other conditions. Similar doses of Naproxen tend to last longer than other non-prescription pain relievers.

Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and Naproxen (Aleve).

“In general, pain that is associated with inflammation, like swelling or acute injury, is better treated with ibuprofen or naproxen,” says Matthew Sutton, MD, a Family Medicine physician at The Iowa Clinic's West Des Moines campus.

“Naproxen [Aleve] and ibuprofen are better for inflammation and muscle strains. A bonus of Naproxen is you can take it twice a day versus every 4 to 6 hours like with acetaminophen. This can be more convenient for many people.”

Adults and teenagers—325 or 500 milligrams (mg) every 3 or 4 hours, 650 mg every 4 to 6 hours, or 1000 mg every 6 hours as needed. The total dose should not be more than 4000 mg (for example, eight 500–mg tablets) a day.

The Tylenol website instructs that 2 pills can be taken every 6 hours while symptoms last for both Extra Strength Caplets and Coated Gels. Do not take more than 6 in a 24-hour period.

The pain relief and fever reduction abilities of acetaminophen typically last about four hours. If your pain does not get better or if your fever does not start to come down after one to two hours, contact your doctor or pharmacist or prescriber to see if you need a larger dose or a different medication.

Tramadol. Tramadol is a powerful painkiller related to morphine that can be used to treat neuropathic pain that does not respond to other treatments a GP can prescribe.

Generally speaking, ice is better than heat for back pain that may be caused by an acute injury. The Cleveland Clinic says that, in the battle of back pain, “Ice wins to shut down swelling, inflammation and pain early on where heat may actually make an injury worse.”

Sharp pain rather than a dull ache: This could indicate a torn muscle or ligament, or a problem with an internal organ in the back or side. 2. Radiating pain: This pain "moves" or shoots to the glutes or legs, which could indicate a nerve compression condition. Radiating pain could be a sign of nerve damage.

What happens if Tylenol doesn't stop pain? ›

If an OTC medicine doesn't help you, contact your doctor. You may have another issue and need a prescription medicine. There are 2 main types of OTC pain relievers: acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Yes, acetaminophen is the same as Tylenol. Acetaminophen is the generic name for the brand name medication Tylenol, made by McNeil Consumer. Acetaminophen is a pain reliever for mild to moderate pain, such as headaches, muscles aches, backache, and toothaches, and fevers.

If you're experiencing back pain when sitting, your impulse may be to lie down and then try to slowly progress back to sitting, says Dr. Atlas. But this is the wrong approach. You should lie down to relieve the pain, but the goal should be not to return to sitting, but rather to regain your ability to stand and move.

Contact your health care provider for back pain that: Lasts longer than a few weeks. Is severe and doesn't improve with rest. Spreads down one or both legs, especially if the pain goes below the knee.

Acute (short-term) back pain lasts a few days to a few weeks. It usually resolves on its own within a few days with self-care and there is no long-term loss of function. Chronic back pain is pain that continues for 12 weeks or longer, even after an initial injury or underlying cause of back pain has been treated.

Ibuprofen typically works better for this kind of pain relief, due to the anti-inflammatory effects.

“If you have muscle or skeletal pain or inflammation, go with ibuprofen,” Haley said. “If it's just a regular headache, acetaminophen is good.”

So, what's the difference between acetaminophen and ibuprofen? The biggest difference between acetaminophen and ibuprofen is ibuprofen's anti-inflammatory effects, which acetaminophen does not have. Therefore, pain that is caused by inflammation responds better to ibuprofen than it would to acetaminophen.

Acetaminophen has two actions in the body: reducing fever and providing relief for mild to moderate pain. Though it has been studied for almost 150 years, how it works remains a mystery.

What over-the-counter medicine is good for lower back pain? ›

Yes, you can safely take acetaminophen and ibuprofen together. And it may surprise you that taking these two medications together actually works better to relieve pain than taking them separately.

Acetaminophen is generally considered safer than other pain relievers. It doesn't cause side effects such as stomach pain and bleeding.

“Naproxen [Aleve] and ibuprofen are better for inflammation and muscle strains. A bonus of Naproxen is you can take it twice a day versus every 4 to 6 hours like with acetaminophen.

Naproxen. Naproxen (Aleve) is the most powerful anti-inflammatory pain reliever available without a prescription. It is especially effective for sprains, sunburns and arthritis and other conditions. Similar doses of Naproxen tend to last longer than other non-prescription pain relievers.

What is the strongest anti-inflammatory medication? Research shows diclofenac is the strongest and most effective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine available.10 Diclofenec is sold under the prescription brand names Cambia, Cataflam, Zipsor, and Zorvolex.

It usually takes around 45 minutes for oral tablets and extended-release tablets to start working when taken on an empty stomach. Oral disintegrating tablets and oral Tylenol liquid start to work in about 20 minutes, while the intravenous acetaminophen takes five to 10 minutes to have an effect.

As you may have guessed from the descriptions above, acetaminophen is best used for fever, aches and pains, but will not be very helpful if the pain is due to inflammation. Ibuprofen is more helpful for these symptoms when inflammation is the cause. Inflammation examples include menstrual cramps and arthritis.