Advil
vs.
Tylenol
By
Meghan
MacEachern,
The
Xaverian
Weekly
(St.
Francis
Xavier
University)
ANT1GONISH
(CUP)
-A
headache
strikes,
muscle
pain
develops,
and
you
are
running
a
fever.
You
make
your
way
to
the
nearest
drug
store
and
manage
to
find
the
pain-relief
section.
To
your
horror,
you
discover
that
choosing
the
right
pain-reliever
is
much
like
the
multiple-choice
exam
you
wrote
last
week.
You
are
stumped
Advil?
Tylenol?
Acetaminophen?
Ibuprofen?
Advil
and
Tylenol
are
big
players
in
the
game
of
pain
management.
It
seems
that
everyone
has
their
preference
as
to
which
one
works
best
for
them.
But
where
do
the
differences
lie?
To
begin,
there
actually
are
differences.
In
this
multiple-choice,
we
can
narrow
it
down
to
two
options
because
Tylenol
is
the
brand
name
for
the
drug
Acetaminophen
and
Advil
is
the
brand
name
for
Ibuprofen.
Basically,
it
is
the
difference
between
choosing
Starbucks
coffee
and
No
Name
coffee.
There
may
be
some
slight
differences,
but
they
both
contain
the
same
active
ingredients.
In
the
end,
you
pay
for
the
name
of
the
company.
Advil,
Midol,
Motrin
and
Ibuprofen
are
classified
as
Non-Steroidal
Anti-Inflammatory
Drug,
or
NSAID.
They
work
in
the
body
to
reduce
pain,
swelling,
fever
and
can
be
used
to
treat
minor
injuries.
It
is
believed
that
it
functions
in
reducing
the
production
of
a
hormone-like
complex
that
produces
inflammation.
Many
people
use
it
for
menstrual
cramps,
headaches,
arthritis,
muscle
pain
and
fever.
Regular
strength
Ibuprofen
comes
in
200mg
tablets
or
capsules,
while
extra-strength
is
a
400
mg
dose.
Of
course,
it
is
strongly
recommended
that
the
dosage
on
the
bottle
or
the
instructions
of
a
physician
be
followed
closely
Using
Ibuprofen
too
frequently
or
in
high
doses
can
cause
serious
side
effects,
such
as
gastrointestinal
bleeding.
Taking
Ibuprofen
with
food
can
greatly
reduce
any
minor
side
effects
such
as
an
upset
stomach.
People
who
cannot
tolerate
NSAIDs
often
use
Tylenol
or
Acetaminophen.
Again,
it
is
not
completely
understood
how
Acetaminophen
functions
once
in
the
body,
but
it
is
believed
that
Acetaminophen
increases
3
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of
New
Caledonia
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one's
pain
threshold
by
blocking
some
pain-receptors
in
the
nervous
system.
This
being
said,
it
does
not
greatly
reduce
stiffness,
redness
or
inflammation.
In
other
words,
it
deceiving
the
body
into
thinking
the
pain
is
gone.
Similarly
to
Ibuprofen,
Acetaminophen
can
cause
upset
stomach.
This
can
be
countered
by
taking
it
with
food.
A
much
more
senous
and
fairly
common
side
effect
of
taking
too
much
Acetaminophen
is
liver
failure
In
an
American
study,
it
was
found
that
nearly
half
of
all
liver-failures
studied
were
due
to
accidental
Acetaminophen
over
dose.
When
ingested,
a
small
portion
of
Acetaminophen
is
metabolized
in
the
liver,
producing
a
toxic
compound
that
gradually
harms
the
liver.
When
taken
frequently
or
in
large
quantities,
it
can
be
extremely
dangerous.
This
effect
is
only
amplified
when
consumed
with
alcohol,
or
the
morning
after
a
few
drinks.
The
enzyme
used
to
metabolize
Acetaminophen
can
also
be
used
for
alcohol.
Alcohol
competes
with
Acetaminophen
for
this
enzyme
in
the
liver,
causing
more
of
the
toxin
to
remain
present
in
the
liver.
Ultimately,
taking
Ibuprofen
with
a
little
snack
the
morning
after
is
generally
a
safe
choice
to
make.
Acetaminophen
won't
reduce
stiffness
or
inflammation,
and
gradually
does
damage
to
the
liver.