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Tylenol With Caffeine

Aug 9, 2011 | By Sirah Dubois
Tylenol With Caffeine
Photo Credit Digital Vision./Digital Vision/Getty Images

Tylenol is a popular brand name of pharmaceuticals in North America manufactured and marketed by McNeal Consumer Healthcare. Tylenol pain relief tablets were first introduced in 1955 in the United States and contained acetaminophen as their main medical ingredient. Since that time, many Tylenol products have been marketed for a variety of symptoms and contain other bioactive ingredients in addition to acetaminophen. Some Tylenol products contain caffeine, but they are only available in Canada. The addition of caffeine makes acetaminophen more effective at relieving migraine headache, the company claims.

Effects of Acetaminophen

Acetaminophen is used in all Tylenol products and is an analgesic, or pain reliever, and a fever reducer, but not an anti-inflammatory, as noted in the "Complete Guide to Prescription and Non-prescription Drugs." Acetaminophen slightly decreases your body's temperature and alters how your brain perceives pain, but it doesn't have any local affect at the site of injury. According to the "PDR Guide to Drug Interactions, Side Effects and Indications," acetaminophen causes three times as much liver failure as all other drugs combined and is the most common cause of acute liver failure in the U.S.

Acetaminophen is metabolized in your liver and releases a byproduct that can damage liver cells and kidney tissue. If you have a history of liver damage, kidney dysfunction or heavy alcohol consumption, avoid products with acetaminophen. Consult with your doctor about other pain-relieving options.

Which Tylenol Products Contain Caffeine

According to the "Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties," Canadian versions of codeine-based Tylenol 1, 2 and 3 all include 15 mg of caffeine in addition to the ingredients found in their American counterparts. Further, Tylenol markets an over-the-counter product called Ultra Relief Migraine Pain that contains 500 mg of acetaminophen combined with 65 mg of caffeine. According to Tylenol.ca, an acetaminophen and caffeine combination relieves headache pain more effectively than acetaminophen alone.

Effects of Caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant and a diuretic, which means it induces urination. Caffeine does not increase energy levels, but it does increase activity of brain chemicals that heighten thought processes and reduces the effects of fatigue, as noted by Eric Newsholme, author of "Functional Biochemistry in Health and Disease." In other words, caffeine makes you feel like doing more not because of an energy boost, but because you have more neurons firing in your brain. Caffeine also reduces blood flow, especially to your head, which is mainly why it is helpful for migraine headaches.

Considerations

A 2007 study by researchers from the University of Washington found that combining caffeine and acetaminophen can produce a toxin that may damage your liver, according to CTV MedNews Express. The researchers found that caffeine triples the amount of the toxin called N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine, or NAPQI, produced by an enzyme in the liver as it breaks down acetaminophen. This toxin further increases the risk of liver damage. CTV notes that the study was not done on people and the amount of caffeine involved was the equivalent of 20 cups of coffee. Ask your doctor about pain-relieving medications that present less risk to your health.

References

Article reviewed by S.C. Ville Last updated on: Aug 9, 2011

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