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Are Paracetamol And Acetaminophen Same?

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Posted on Wed, 23 Nov 2016
Question: Thank you - I have a miserable headache and have Tylenol with acetaminophen in it, but I also have headache medicine from England (where I live sometimes) - and that has paracetamol (with codeine and buclizine) in it.
Are paracetamol and acetaminophen the same thing? I don't want to take too much acetaminophen. Thanks for your response.
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Answered by Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh (42 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
No, do NOT take Migraleve and Tylenol.

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,

Yes, paracetamol is another name for acetaminophen. Paracetamol is what it is called in the UK and XXXXXXX

Regular Tylenol is just acetaminophen. The Tylenol that is sold over the counter here does not contain codeine or anything else.

You are right that you should not combine acetaminophen and paracetamol as excess of this drug can do irreparable damage to the liver.

The other thing to note is that while some medications are still safe to take a little past their expiration date, acetaminophen/paracetamol is NOT safe, and can lead to serious problems (such as Fanconi's disease). So please check the expiration date on the products you have.

I hope this information helps. Please let me know if I can provide further information.
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :1991

Answered : 3134 Questions

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Are Paracetamol And Acetaminophen Same?

Brief Answer: No, do NOT take Migraleve and Tylenol. Detailed Answer: Hello and welcome, Yes, paracetamol is another name for acetaminophen. Paracetamol is what it is called in the UK and XXXXXXX Regular Tylenol is just acetaminophen. The Tylenol that is sold over the counter here does not contain codeine or anything else. You are right that you should not combine acetaminophen and paracetamol as excess of this drug can do irreparable damage to the liver. The other thing to note is that while some medications are still safe to take a little past their expiration date, acetaminophen/paracetamol is NOT safe, and can lead to serious problems (such as Fanconi's disease). So please check the expiration date on the products you have. I hope this information helps. Please let me know if I can provide further information.