How Long Does Tylenol (Acetaminophen) Last? - Walrus Health

Questions Articles Drugs Ask a pharmacist How Long Does Tylenol (Acetaminophen) Last?

Our pharmacist answers the latest question regarding how long the pain reliever Tylenol (Acetaminophen) lasts.

Answered By: Dr. Brian Staiger Pharm.D Nov 11, 2017

Herman asked

How long does Tylenol (acetaminophen) last?

Answer

Each dose of Tylenol (acetaminophen) lasts around four to six hours. This includes Tylenol Regular Strength products and Tylenol Extra Strength products.

After taking by mouth, Tylenol is very quickly absorbed and you can expect the analgesic effects to begin working within 20 to 30 minutes. Multiple studies show that peak concentrations of Tylenol in the blood occur within 30 to 60 minutes after taking.

It is important to note that taking Tylenol with food MAY decrease how quickly the drug is absorbed, but the overall effect of the drug should be relatively unchanged.

Tylenol is also quickly metabolized in our bodies and has a short half life (time it takes to metabolize 50% of the drug) of two to three hours.

The typical dose of Tylenol is 325 mg to 650 mg every four to six hours with no single dose exceeding 1,000 mg. The maximum daily dose of Tylenol is 4,000 mg although it is often recommended to take far less than that if you take Tylenol regularly.

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Dr. Brian Staiger is a licensed pharmacist in New York State and the founder of the Q+A website PharmacistAnswers.com. He graduated from the University At Buffalo with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2010. He has been featured in numerous publications including the Huffington Post as well as a variety of health and pharmacy-related blogs. Please feel free to reach out to him directly if you have any inquiries or want to connect! He's answered thousands of medication and pharmacy-related questions and he's ready to answer yours!

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