Tylenol (brand): Difference between revisions
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'''Tylenol''' is a popular American [[brand]] of [[drug]]s for relieving [[analgesic|pain]], reducing [[fever]], and relieving the symptoms of [[allergy|allergies]], [[common cold|cold]], [[cough]], [[flu]], sold by [[Johnson & Johnson]]. The name is derived from N-aceTYL-p-aminophENOL (APAP). Its original, flagship product, [[acetaminophen]] (called [[paracetamol]] outside of North America), is marketed for [[headache]]s, [[fever]], [[muscle pain|muscle]] and body [[Pain and nociception|pain]], [[arthritis]], and [[joint pain]]. It is available without prescription ("[[over-the-counter drug|over the counter]]") and has few side effects |
'''Tylenol''' is a popular American [[brand]] of [[drug]]s for relieving [[analgesic|pain]], reducing [[fever]], and relieving the symptoms of [[allergy|allergies]], [[common cold|cold]], [[cough]], [[flu]], sold by [[Johnson & Johnson]]. The name is derived from N-aceTYL-p-aminophENOL (APAP). Its original, flagship product, [[acetaminophen]] (called [[paracetamol]] outside of North America), is marketed for [[headache]]s, [[fever]], [[muscle pain|muscle]] and body [[Pain and nociception|pain]], [[arthritis]], and [[joint pain]]. It is available without prescription ("[[over-the-counter drug|over the counter]]") and has few side effects. Tylenol reacts with very few medications. In addition to products related to allergies and cold, Tylenol also sells a stronger pain reliever containing [[codeine]]. |
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==History== |
==History== |
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Revision as of 05:52, 15 March 2007
- For more information about the active ingredient of Tylenol, acetaminophen, see paracetamol.
Tylenol is a popular American brand of drugs for relieving pain, reducing fever, and relieving the symptoms of allergies, cold, cough, flu, sold by Johnson & Johnson. The name is derived from N-aceTYL-p-aminophENOL (APAP). Its original, flagship product, acetaminophen (called paracetamol outside of North America), is marketed for headaches, fever, muscle and body pain, arthritis, and joint pain. It is available without prescription ("over the counter") and has few side effects. Tylenol reacts with very few medications. In addition to products related to allergies and cold, Tylenol also sells a stronger pain reliever containing codeine.
History
The active substance of Tylenol, acetaminophen, was first used in medicine in 1893. Acetaminophen only gained widespread use after 1948, when scientists concluded that another popular drug, acetanilide, was toxic and that the same therapeutic effect could be safely achieved with acetaminophen, which was already known to be a metabolite of acetanilide.
James Roth, a U.S. gastroenterologist, advocated paracetamol as a safer alternative to aspirin, which was shown to have some negative effects. Roth was also principal consultant to McNeil Laboratories. In 1953 McNeil Laboratories introduced Algoson, a preparation containing paracetamol together with sodium butabarbital, a sedative. In 1955 McNeil Laboratories introduced Tylenol Elixir for children, which contained paracetamol as its sole active ingredient. It was originally marketed mainly towards children, but soon came to dominate the North American pain-killer market. There is a wide array of different varieties of Tylenol available today including extra-strength, children's doses, longer-lasting, and sleep aiding (as a combination with a sedative antihistamine). In 2005, Tylenol Ultra was introduced, containing 500 milligrams of acetaminophen, the same dosage as Extra Strength Tylenol, but also including 65 mg of caffeine. This is due to caffeine's vasoconstricting effects, for which there is some disputed evidence for additional efficacy.[1][2] The patent on paracetamol has expired, and the continued success of Tylenol brand preparations is largely due to marketing, the backing of Johnson & Johnson, and new patented delivery mechanisms such as quick-release and extended-release forms of the medication.
On September 29, 1982, a "Tylenol scare" began when the first of seven individuals died in metropolitan Chicago, Illinois, after ingesting Extra Strength Tylenol that contained cyanide. While the crime was never solved and Tylenol sales temporarily collapsed, the brand was rebuilt and recovered in only a few years. The scare led to the introduction of tamper-proof packaging for medicines.
Tylenol remains a top seller, controlling about 35% of the pain killer market in North America.
In 2006, a study showed that the maximum recommended daily dose of Tylenol can cause elevation in the liver enzyme ALT in healthy adults.[3]
As with other over-the-counter medications, overdoses of Tylenol can result in death.
Tylenol products
Tylenol sells products to relieve pain, allergies, and cold- and flu- related symptoms. All of the Tylenol brand products contain acetaminophen. Allergy and cold products also contain dextromethorphan, pseudoephedrine and other nasal decongestants, antihistamines, and expectorants. A class of stronger pain relievers contains codeine (Tylenol 3). Acetaminophen is also found in other narcotic based analgesics such as Percocet which contains oxycodone.
Overdoses of acetaminophen are serious and can be fatal from liver toxicity. In heavy drinkers, regular use of acetaminophen increases liver damage from alcohol. Unlike NSAIDs, acetaminophen is not particularly effective against pain from inflammatory disorders. It is essential to avoid excessive amounts of acetaminophen as this may cause damage to the liver. This risk is additive when separate co-ingestion of acetaminophen is used. The normal maximum for acetaminophen per day is 65 mg/kg / 24 hr or 4 g/d, whichever is less. Certain patients such as those on medications processed by the liver or diseases of the liver (e.g., Hepatitis A, B, or C) should consult their physician. Tylenol is not intended to be used as a post-workout soreness reliever, but rather, as a normal aches and pain reliever.
Further reading
References
- ^ Diener H, Pfaffenrath V, Pageler L, Peil H, Aicher B (2005). "The fixed combination of acetylsalicylic acid, paracetamol and caffeine is more effective than single substances and dual combination for the treatment of headache: a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, single-dose, placebo-controlled parallel group study". Cephalalgia. 25 (10): 776–87. PMID 16162254.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - which concludes "the fixed combination of ... caffeine was statistically significantly superior to the combination without caffeine" - ^ Loder E (2005). "Fixed drug combinations for the acute treatment of migraine : place in therapy". CNS Drugs. 19 (9): 769–84. PMID 16142992. - which notes that "benefits assumed for ... caffeine ... are not clearly confirmed in these trials"
- ^ Watkins P, Kaplowitz N, Slattery J, Colonese C, Colucci S, Stewart P, Harris S (2006). "Aminotransferase elevations in healthy adults receiving 4 grams of acetaminophen daily: a randomized controlled trial" (abstract). JAMA. 296 (1): 87–93. PMID 16820551.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)