Should i take tylenol 3 with food

Measure the medicine with a marked measuring spoon, oral syringe, or medicine cup. The average household teaspoon may not hold the right amount of liquid. The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine.

If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so. The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine. If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule.

Do not double doses. If you miss a dose of the oral solution or tablet, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing. Acetaminophen and codeine combination oral solution or tablet can cause serious unwanted effects or fatal overdose if taken by children, pets, or adults who are not used to strong narcotic pain medicines.

Make sure you store the medicine in a safe and secure place to prevent others from getting it. Drop off any unused narcotic medicine at a drug take-back location right away. If you do not have a drug take-back location near you, flush any unused narcotic medicine down the toilet. Check your local drug store and clinics for take-back locations. You can also check the DEA web site for locations.

Here is the link to the FDA safe disposal of medicines website:www. It is very important that your doctor check your or your child's progress while you are taking this medicine, especially within the first 24 to 72 hours of treatment. This will allow your doctor to see if the medicine is working properly and to decide if you or your child should continue to take it. Blood tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.

It is against the law and dangerous for anyone else to use your medicine. Keep your unused medicine in a safe and secure place. People who are addicted to drugs might want to steal this medicine. This medicine may be habit-forming. If you feel that the medicine is not working as well, do not use more than your prescribed dose. Call your doctor for instructions.

If you think you or someone else may have taken an overdose of this medicine, get emergency help at once. Signs of an overdose include: dark urine, difficult or trouble breathing, irregular, fast or slow, or shallow breathing, nausea, vomiting, pain in the upper stomach, pale or blue lips, fingernails, or skin, pinpoint pupils of the eyes, or yellow eyes or skin.

This medicine may cause sleep-related breathing problems eg, sleep apnea, sleep-related hypoxemia. Your doctor may decrease your dose if you have sleep apnea stop breathing for short periods during sleep while using this medicine.

Check with your doctor right away if you have pain or tenderness in the upper stomach, pale stools, dark urine, loss of appetite, nausea, unusual tiredness or weakness, or yellow eyes or skin.

These could be symptoms of a serious liver problem. Using this medicine while you are pregnant may cause serious unwanted effects, including neonatal withdrawal syndrome in your newborn baby. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist about the risks and benefits of this medication. This combination medication is used to help relieve mild to moderate pain such as headaches, muscle pain.

It contains an opioid pain reliever codeine , a non-opioid pain reliever acetaminophen , and caffeine. Codeine works in the brain to change how your body feels and responds to pain. Acetaminophen can also reduce a fever.

Caffeine increases pain relief, especially for certain types of headaches. Take this medication by mouth as directed by your doctor, usually every 4 to 6 hours as needed for pain. You may take this drug with or without food. If you have nausea, it may help to take this drug with food. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about other ways to decrease nausea such as lying down for 1 to 2 hours with as little head movement as possible. The dosage is based on your medical condition and response to treatment.

Do not increase your dose or use this drug more often or for longer than prescribed because your risk of side effects may increase. Properly stop the medication when so directed. Pain medications work best if they are used as the first signs of pain occur. If you wait until the pain has worsened, the medication may not work as well. Suddenly stopping this medication may cause withdrawal, especially if you have used it for a long time or in high doses.

To prevent withdrawal, your doctor may lower your dose slowly. When this medication is used for a long time, it may not work as well.

Talk with your doctor if this medication stops working well. Though it helps many people, this medication may sometimes cause addiction. Take this medication exactly as prescribed to lower the risk of addiction. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details. Nausea, vomiting, constipation, lightheadedness, dizziness, drowsiness, headache, increased urination, or trouble sleeping may occur.

If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly. To prevent constipation, eat dietary fiber, drink enough water, and exercise. You may also need to take a laxative. Ask your pharmacist which type of laxative is right for you. To reduce the risk of dizziness and lightheadedness, get up slowly when rising from a sitting or lying position. Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects.

Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects. Codeine is changed into a strong opioid drug morphine in your body. In some people, this change happens faster and more completely than usual, which increases the risk of very serious side effects.

Get medical help right away if you notice any of the following:. A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare.

Never use a drug past its expiration date. Be sure to keep this medication out of reach of children or pets. Tylenol 3 can cause a number of side effects related to acetaminophen or codeine. Some are low-grade and tend to resolve on their own without treatment. Others are severe and may require the discontinuation of treatment. Less commonly, diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramps, fainting, heart palpitations, insomnia, nervousness, and fatigue may occur.

Adrenal insufficiency reduced adrenal gland function can develop when opioids are used for longer than one month. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, fatigue, weakness, and dizziness. The gradual discontinuation of Tylenol 3 along with the short-term use of oral corticosteroid drugs to support adrenal function can usually set things right.

Even in healthy adults, high doses of acetaminophen can cause liver injury. Taking 4, mg within 24 hours can significantly increase the risk of hepatoxicity liver poisoning and permanent liver damage.

Taking two tablets of Tylenol 3 every four hours pushes you uncomfortably close to that daily limit 3, mg. Drinking alcohol while taking acetaminophen significantly amplifies the risk of liver damage. On rare occasions, Tylenol 3 has also been known to cause a potentially life-threatening, whole-body allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis.

In most cases, codeine is the responsible culprit, triggering symptoms within minutes of taking a dose. Call or seek emergency care if you experience some or all of the following after taking Tylenol If left untreated, anaphylaxis can lead to shock, coma, asphyxiation, heart or respiratory failure, and even death.

Tylenol 3 should be used with caution in certain groups. The drug may not be contraindicated, per se, but specialist insight may be needed to determine how appropriate the drug is on a case-by-case basis for people with some conditions.

Some people with epilepsy , for example, may experience a greater frequency of seizures when taking Tylenol 3. Elderly people with reduced kidney function may also experience seizures. Because there is no way to know who might be affected, healthcare providers should monitor those with a risk of seizures and discontinue treatment if seizures occur or worsen.

Because of the stress acetaminophen can place on the liver, people with chronic liver disease should limit their daily intake to no more than 2, mg per day, according to the American College of Gastroenterology, or even less if severe liver disease is present.

In addition, even if you don't have liver disease, always use the smallest amount of acetaminophen possible. The risk of respiratory depression and death is greater when Tylenol 3 is taken with benzodiazepines and other drugs including alcohol that suppress the central nervous system. To avoid this, most healthcare providers will simply find alternatives to Tylenol 3. If this is not possible and there are no reasonable alternatives for chronic benzodiazepine users such as people with generalized anxiety disorder , panic disorder , or agoraphobia , the lowest possible dose should be used for the shortest amount of time under constant medical supervision.

Tylenol 3 can also interact with a wide range of drugs that use the enzyme cytochrome P CYP for metabolism. Tylenol 3 also utilizes CYP, and, by taking these drugs together, you might experience increases or decreases in blood concentration of one or both drugs.

Decreased drug concentrations are associated with a loss of clinical effects, while increased drug concentrations correspond to a worsening of side effects. With Tylenol 3, any drug interaction that causes a drop in blood concentration can lead to significant and sometimes profound opioid withdrawal symptoms.

Among some of the drugs at the greatest risk of CYP interactions are:. Due to the severity of the interaction, Tylenol 3 should not be used with any of these drugs.

There are literally dozens of other drugs that can interact with Tylenol 3. Some of these interacting medications may require a dose adjustment or the separation of doses by one to six hours. To avoid drug interactions, always let your healthcare provider know about any drugs you are taking, whether they are prescription, over-the-counter, herbal, or recreational. One of the primary concerns about the extended use of Tylenol 3 is the risk of opioid addiction and abuse.

Equally concerning are withdrawal symptoms that can arise when treatment is suddenly stopped. Doing so can cause an array of side effects, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, abdominal cramping, agitation, and a rapid return of pain.

Codeine belongs to a class of medications called opiate narcotic analgesics and to a class of medications called antitussives. When codeine is used to treat pain, it works by changing the way the brain and nervous system respond to pain. When codeine is used to reduce coughing, it works by decreasing the activity in the part of the brain that causes coughing. The combination of acetaminophen and codeine comes as a tablet, capsule, and liquid to take by mouth.

It usually is taken every 4 hours as needed. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. If you have taken acetaminophen and codeine for several weeks or longer, do not stop taking the medication without talking to your doctor. Your doctor may decrease your dose gradually. If you suddenly stop taking acetaminophen and codeine, you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, widened pupils black circles in the center of the eyes , teary eyes, irritability, anxiety, runny nose, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, yawning, sweating, fast breathing, fast heartbeat, chills, nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, or muscle aches.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. This medication usually is taken as needed. If your doctor has told you to take acetaminophen and codeine regularly, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it.

However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one. Acetaminophen and codeine may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while you are taking this medication.

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture not in the bathroom. It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily.

To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location — one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach.

Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program.

In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at While taking acetaminophen and codeine, you should talk to your doctor about having a rescue medication called naloxone readily available e.

Naloxone is used to reverse the life-threatening effects of an overdose. It works by blocking the effects of opiates to relieve dangerous symptoms caused by high levels of opiates in the blood.