This article discusses the simultaneous use of Tylenol and anti-inflammatories for pain relief.
It also provides information about how you’ve got the option to take Aleve and Tylenol together safely.
These two medications belong to different drug classes, which means they work in different ways inside your body.
RUNSTUDIO / Getty Images
They are also metabolized differently.
Tylenol is eliminated through the liver, while NSAIDs like Aleve are eliminated by the kidneys.
For this reason, taking them together won’t overwork either one of these organs.
This also makes Tylenol a good choice for relieving fever.
Researchers, however, continue to study the exact mechanisms of Tylenol in the body.
Tylenol is primarily broken down in the liver and is known for liver-related risks and complications.
This, in turn, acts on inflammation by limiting the body’s ability to produce prostaglandins.
On occasion, itchiness and rash can also develop.
One of the major challenges of NSAIDs is their effect on prostaglandin.
As prostaglandin levels decrease so, too, does the protective benefit to the stomach.
This is why NSAIDs can causeheartburn, stomach pain, andpeptic ulcers.
It is not associated with peptic ulcer risk or cardiovascular risk.
While NSAIDs can also hurt the liver if used in excess, the risk is far smaller.
The same applies to the kidneys but usually only when there is an underlying kidney disorder.
As a rule, you wouldn’tdouble up on NSAIDsbecause of the increased risk of gastrointestinal and cardiovascular side effects.
NSAIDs like Aleve and Tylenol are preferred by most people because of their short-to-moderate effects.
It’s advised to use the lowest possible dose that works for the shortest amount of time.
These medications belong to different drug classes and work differently in the body.
Bethesda (MD) 2020.
Harvard Medical School.Heart-safer NSAID alternatives.
National Health Service.Taking or using ibuprofen with other medicines and herbal supplements.
Ayoub SS.Paracetamol (acetaminophen): A familiar drug with an unexplained mechanism of action.Temperature (Austin).
2021 Mar 16;8(4):351-371. doi:10.1080/23328940.2021.1886392.
Gunaydin C, Bilge SS.Effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs at the molecular level.Eurasian J Med.
2018;50(2):116-121. doi:10.5152/eurasianjmed.2018.0010
National Kidney Foundation.Pain Medicines (Analgesics).
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Naproxen.LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury.
2017;357:j1909.