Some kinds of pain relief medications are more effective when they are used in combination. Tylenol 4 is an example of a combination analgesic pharmaceutical, which combines a powerful narcotic pain relieving compound with a less-potent medication to make both medicines more effective. This allows for better pain relief without the use of large amounts of a drug.
Ingredients
The two main active ingredients of Tylenol 4, according to RxList.com, are acetaminophen and codeine. Each dose of Tylenol 4 contains 300 mg of acetaminophen and 60 mg of codeine. Tylenol 4 has twice as much codeine as the less potent acetaminophen-codeine formulation, Tylenol 3. In addition to these active ingredients, Tylenol 4 also contains sodium metabisulfite, magnesium stearate, powedered cellulose, pregelatinized and modified corn starch. These compounds either serve as preservatives or are part of the matrix to which the active compounds are bound.
Uses
Codeine is a powerful narcotic medication, which means that it is chemically related to opium. Narcotic medications have strong pain-relief and anti-coughing properties, Drugs.com explains. Acetaminophen, which can also be used for pain relief, potentiates the effects of codeine, which means that a lower amount of medication is necessary for its effects to occur. Consequently, Tylenol 4 can be used to treat moderate to severe pain.
Administration
Tylenol 4 can come in both tablet and as a liquid suspension, Rxlist.com explains. A single dose of the medication can be taken every four hours. The maximum recommended dose of codeine is 360 mg per day, so it is important for patients to not take more than six doses per day. The medication should be taken with water and can be ingested with or without food. If the liquid suspension form of Tylenol 4 is being taken, patients should shake the bottle and use a measuring device designed for prescription medications to measure out the dose.
Side Effects
The combination of acetaminophen and codeine can have a number of side effects, Medline Plus notes. Patients may experience an upset stomach, nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and constipation. Patients may also feel dizzy, light-headed or drowsy. Some patients develop a rash or have trouble urinating while use Tylenol 4. Serious side effects include changes in mood and difficulty breathing; patients should contact their physician immediately if these symptoms occur.
Interactions
Patients taking Tylenol 4 need to be wary of taking too much of either acetaminophen or codeine. Codeine, as a narcotic pain reliever, can be addictive, which can lead to patients increasing their doses to unsafe levels in order to generate the euphoria that codeine can cause. In addition, high quantities of acetaminophen can be toxic to the liver, especially in patients who consume alcohol. Acetaminophen, Drugs.com explains, is present in many drugs, so patients taking Tylenol 4 should check any other medications that they are taking for the presence of acetaminophen. The maximum recommended 24-hour dose of acetaminophen, according to RxList.com, is 3,000 mg.
