A product called Tylenol Elixir was introduced in the United States in 1955 as the first aspirin-free pain reliever. Designed for children, it required a doctor's prescription. Since then, manufacturer McNeil Laboratories has made over 40 health care products containing what is generically referred to as acetominophen, all of which are today available over-the-counter. Many patients and doctors prefer Tylenol to aspirin or ibuprofin because it does not irritate the stomach lining the way the other products can. Tylenol products target pain relief, allergy and sinus symptoms, cold and cough relief, and sleeplessness. Tylenol also carries a line of over-the-counter products specifically for children. For added convenience, most products for adults come in gelcaps, tablets or capsules.
Pain Relief
To target pain relief, Tylonol offers four products: Regular Strength, Tylenol 8-Hour, Extra Strength Rapid Relase and Tylenol Arthritis Pain. The first three are designed to temporarily reduce fever as well as minor aches and pains, while the last deals specifically with arthritic pain. Extra Strength Rapid Release Gels contains 500mg of acetominophen plus holes in the capsules designed to release the medication more quickly than its 325mg regular strength counterpart. Unlike regular strength Tylenol that must be repeated every four to six hours, the Tylenol 8-Hour product lasts almost twice as long because it contains 650mg of acetominophen. Tylenol Arthritis combines the rapid release and 8-hour products: one layer of the pill dissolves quickly for prompt pain relief, while the other is a time-released layer that helps relieve pain for up to eight hours.
Allergy and Sinus
Tylenol manufactures nine products targeted at providing relief from allergy symptoms in addition to sinus pain. In addition to containing regular strength dosages of acetaminophen for pain, all daytime allergy medications include the antihistamine chlorpheniramine maleate and the nasal decongestant phenyleprhine. Nighttime Tylenol allergy products switch out the antihistamine and replace it with a more powerful product that can cause sedation, called diphenhydramine HCl.
The Tylenol Allergy Multi-Symptom Convenience pack contains pills for both daytime and nighttime use. Tylenol Severe Allergy contains 500mg of acetaminophen, plus higher dosages of both the decongestant and the antihistamine products. All Sinus Congestion & Pain products by Tylenol contain pain relief together with a decongestant, while the severe pain sinus congestion product adds the expectorant guaifensen to the mix to thin the mucus and relieve pressure caused by buildup of mucus in the sinus cavities.
Cough and Cold
As of December 2009, Tylenol offers 10 cold and cough products: Cold Multi-Symptom Severe, Cold Multi-Symptom Daytime, Cold Multi-Symptom Nighttime, Multi-Symptom Day/Night Pack, Cold Head Congestion Severe, Cold Head Congestion Daytime, Cold Head Congestion Nighttime, Cold Head Congestion Day/Night Pack, Cold Severe Congestion Daytime and Cold Severe Congestion Daytime. All contain varying degrees of acetaminophen to provide pain relief, with the products labeled "severe" containing higher doses. The products all contain the same expectorant, nasal decongestant and antihistamines as the allergy medications listed in Section 2, though some of the products also work to relieve cough with the cough suppressant dextromethorphan HBr.
Sleep Aids
Tylenol offers two products to help you manage pain and sleep better: Tylenol PM and Simply Sleep. Tylenol PM contains acetaminophen for pain along with nighttime sleep aid diphenhydramine HCl, the generic name for Benadryl. Simply Sleep contains only Benadryl.
Children's Products
Tylenol's products for children treat allergies, colds, flu, cough, pain and fever. These 12 products contain adjusted dosages of the same ingredients available in the adult versions of these medications. They are also produced in both flavored liquid and "meltaway" form (melt in your mouth) so that children can take them easily with minimal complaints.
