Do you take Paracetamol when you have headache or fever?Before using the drug make sure that you know each and every detail.
Do you also misinterpret Tylenol as a blood thinner? You need to read this article to clear your concepts, because a little misunderstanding can take your life. Go through the article if you want to know it better.
What is Tylenol?
Tylenol is a trade name used for the medicine Paracetamol or Acetaminophen which is used to cure fever, pain and headache.
Acetaminophen is the generic name of Tylenol.
People think Tylenol is the same as Aspirin but they are different . Acetaminophen is a non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug which is analgesic and antipyretic.
Uses of Tylenol:
Tylenol is use in the following cases:
- It is used to reduce fever.
- It is also used as a pain reliever.
- Headache can be easily cured by it.
- Pain in Arthritis can also be treated by it.
- It is used to reduce muscle aches.
- It is also used to reduce backache.
Side effects of Tylenol:
Side effects of Tylenol may include the following:
- Nausea
- It can also cause pain in the lower back .
- You can also lose appetite.
- It can also cause skin rashes .
- Dark urine is produced as a side effect of Tylenol.
- It can cause stomach bleeding.
Half life of Tylenol is about 2 or 2.5 hours.
Liver Diseases:
Overdose of Tylenol can cause many liver diseases because it is metabolized in the liver where it’s breakdown produces many byproducts which can damage the liver .
Is Tylenol a blood thinner?
Tylenol is often misinterpreted as blood thinner. Following points discuss it
Tylenol is not a blood thinner:
It should be taken into consideration that Tylenol is not a blood thinner. It is a medicine used for fever and pain, cold and headache. Blood thinner can be of two types
- Antiplatelet:
Those which stop the platelet formation for example aspirin.
- Anticoagulant:
They are called anticoagulants because they increase or lengthen the time required to make the clots of blood. For example warfarin which reduces the chances of heart stroke up to 65 % .
According to a survey 16% of patients who use warfarin also use the Tylenol.
Tylenol does not perform any of the above functions and is not considered as a blood thinner.
It has no role in blood clotting:
Tylenol does not affect blood and it is unable to clot the blood. That is one of the reasons that doctors do not consider it as a blood thinner . It does not affect Heart . On the other hand aspirin is used to clot blood and to prevent heart attacks. It reduces thrombus formation.
Tylenol is a pain reliever:
Tylenol is also used as a pain reliever. You can take Tylenol without worrying about the harmful effects. If we take Tylenol by mouth it can relieve the pain within the next 37 minutes. It blocks the release of compounds which cause the sensation of pain.
Working mechanism of Tylenol:
It blocks many enzymes which mainly produce the prostaglandins. What do these prostaglandins do? These are the compounds that work like the hormones. Their main function is to control the inflammation. Actually Tylenol affects the central nervous system and blocks the part of the brain which releases prostaglandins.
As soon as the brain is blocked to release these compounds, the pain automatically abolishes.
Comparing Aspirin and Tylenol.
Aspirin is used as a blood thinner. The effect of aspirin is so massive that if you take just a single dose of it before proceeding to any surgery, it can result in bleeding and you may lose your eyesight completely.
Tylenol generally increases the blood pressure but it is not considered.
Overdose of Tylenol:
Average amount of 3 to 4 grams of Tylenol or the acetaminophen is safe amount to use, but if you use an amount of 6-7 grams it will be harmful. It can cause many side effects. Overdose can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and nausea.
When Tylenol should not be used?
Tylenol should not be used for the patients suffering from liver diseases.
- Persons suffering from acute liver failure should not take Tylenol
- People suffering from Hepatitis C should not take it.
- People having renal problems should avoid it.
- People suffering from cirrhosis.
Acetaminophen should be avoided by the mothers who feed their children. It should only be used as per doctor’s advice. It should be avoided because it can pass directly through the mother’s milk to the newborn.
Conclusion:
As we know that Tylenol is analgesic which means a medication that is useful to relieve pain. It is simply medication which is used to reduce fever and reduce pain . Blood thinners are the medications or compounds which makes the blood thin so that it flows easily. In the case of any wound or surgery blood thinners should be avoided strictly because they increase the flow of blood and do not let it stop. Excessive blood loss can even cause death. It is used worldwide to relieve pain .
It is highly recommended to consult your doctor before taking any medicine.