How do tylenol 3s work

Low blood pressure: Codeine may cause low blood pressure or make low blood pressure worse. If you experience severe dizziness, especially when standing from a lying or sitting position, contact your doctor. Other medical conditions: If you are about to undergo surgery of the biliary tract, approach taking codeine with caution, as it may worsen your condition. Codeine will worsen the effects of acute alcohol intoxication and delirium tremens.

As well, if you have low thyroid hypothyroidism , Addison's disease, benign prostatic hypertrophy enlarged prostate , gallbladder disease, urethral stricture, decreased function of the adrenal glands, or porphyria, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed.

Ultra-rapid codeine metabolizers: Some people process codeine faster and more completely than others due to a genetic variation. This can result in higher-than-expected drug levels in the body, which may result in overdose symptoms and serious or life-threatening effects on breathing. If you are known to be a rapid metabolizer of codeine you should avoid using this medication. Worsening symptoms: If redness or swelling occurs in the area of pain, if symptoms do not improve or they worsen, or if new symptoms develop e.

These may be signs of other conditions that require medical attention. Seizures: This medication may cause seizures. Seizures are more likely to occur when higher doses of this medication are taken.

If you have a history of epilepsy or medical conditions that increase the risk of seizures, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed. Serotonin syndrome: Although rare, severe reactions are possible when codeine is combined with other medications that act on serotonin, such as tricyclic antidepressants and serotonin reuptake inhibitors medications used to treat depression.

Symptoms of a reaction may include muscle rigidity and spasms, difficulty moving, or changes in mental state including delirium and agitation. Coma and death are possible. If you are taking antidepressants, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed. Pregnancy: This medication should not be used during pregnancy unless the benefits outweigh the risks.

If you become pregnant while taking this medication, contact your doctor immediately. Infants born to mothers who have been taking codeine for long periods of time may experience dangerous withdrawal symptoms at birth. Breast-feeding: Acetaminophen, codeine, and caffeine pass into breast milk. Some of the codeine dose is converted into morphine by the body, once it has been taken. For some people, this change happens much faster than for others. If this happens to a nursing mother, the baby is at risk of receiving a morphine overdose through the breast milk.

If you are breast-feeding and are taking this medication, it may affect your baby. Talk to your doctor about whether you should continue breast-feeding. Children: The safety and effectiveness of using this medication have not been established for children under 12 years old.

Medications containing codeine should not be given to people under 18 years old for pain management after surgery to remove the tonsils and or adenoids. Non-prescription products containing codeine should not be used by people under 18 years old. Recent evidence shows that young people who use opioids, including codeine, may be more likely to have problems with the misuse of medications and other substances later in life. Seniors: Seniors who take this medication may be more likely to experience side effects or worsening of preexisting medical conditions.

If you are taking any of these medications, speak with your doctor or pharmacist. Depending on your specific circumstances, your doctor may want you to:. An interaction between two medications does not always mean that you must stop taking one of them. Speak to your doctor about how any drug interactions are being managed or should be managed. Medications other than those listed above may interact with this medication. Tell your doctor or prescriber about all prescription, over-the-counter non-prescription , and herbal medications you are taking.

Also tell them about any supplements you take. Since caffeine, alcohol, the nicotine from cigarettes, or street drugs can affect the action of many medications, you should let your prescriber know if you use them. All material copyright MediResource Inc. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Tylenol 3 and Percocet are controlled substances with a high potential for abuse, addiction, and misuse.

However, because of its potency, Percocet has a higher potential of abuse than Tylenol 3. These opioid medications should be taken under the guidance of a healthcare provider after a complete medical evaluation. Abuse and dependence on these opioids can increase the risk of overdose.

High doses of opioids can lead to shallow breathing respiratory depression , confusion, loss of consciousness, and even death. A prescribing doctor may recommend a naloxone reversal kit for certain patients at risk of an opioid overdose. Opioid medications should be tapered, or discontinued gradually. Otherwise, there is a risk of withdrawal symptoms after long-term use. Withdrawal symptoms may include anxiety, fatigue, sweating, and seizures.

Consult a healthcare provider for other possible warnings and precautions associated with these prescription drugs. Tylenol 3, also known as the combination of acetaminophen and codeine , is an opioid pain reliever.

It is FDA approved for mild to moderate pain. Tylenol 3 is often prescribed after an injury or dental procedure. It is available in oral tablets with a strength of mg of acetaminophen and 30 mg of codeine. Percocet is the brand name for the combination of acetaminophen and oxycodone.

It is an opioid pain reliever FDA approved to treat moderate to severe pain. It can be prescribed for acute and chronic pain.

Percocet is available as an oral tablet. Tylenol 3 and Percocet are both opioid painkillers, but they are not the same. Although they both contain acetaminophen, they contain different opioid ingredients; Tylenol 3 contains codeine while Percocet contains oxycodone. Percocet contains a stronger opioid ingredient than Tylenol 3.

Compared to Tylenol 3, Percocet may be prescribed more often for severe pain. However, the effectiveness of either opioid medication ultimately depends on the dosage used, the severity of pain being treated, and other pain relief therapies being used. Opioid painkillers are not generally recommended for use while pregnant. There is a potential for these opioids to cause birth defects. However, few studies have been conducted on the safety of opioids during pregnancy. Opioid use during pregnancy can lead to respiratory depression or withdrawal symptoms in the baby.

Opioids should only be used if the potential benefits outweigh the risks during pregnancy. It is not recommended to consume alcohol while taking Tylenol 3 or Percocet. Doing so can increase the risk of side effects, such as drowsiness, dizziness, loss of coordination, and confusion. Skip to main content Search for a topic or drug.

Tylenol 3 vs. Percocet: Differences, similarities, and which is better for you. By Gerardo Sison, Pharm. Updated on May. Top Reads in Drug vs. Keep from freezing. Acetaminophen and codeine combination oral solution or tablet can cause serious unwanted effects or fatal overdose if taken by children, pets, or adults who are not used to strong narcotic pain medicines.

Make sure you store the medicine in a safe and secure place to prevent others from getting it. Drop off any unused narcotic medicine at a drug take-back location right away.

If you do not have a drug take-back location near you, flush any unused narcotic medicine down the toilet. Check your local drug store and clinics for take-back locations. You can also check the DEA web site for locations. Here is the link to the FDA safe disposal of medicines website:www. It is very important that your doctor check your or your child's progress while you are taking this medicine, especially within the first 24 to 72 hours of treatment.

This will allow your doctor to see if the medicine is working properly and to decide if you or your child should continue to take it. Blood tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects. It is against the law and dangerous for anyone else to use your medicine. Keep your unused medicine in a safe and secure place.

People who are addicted to drugs might want to steal this medicine. This medicine may be habit-forming. If you feel that the medicine is not working as well, do not use more than your prescribed dose.

Call your doctor for instructions. If you think you or someone else may have taken an overdose of this medicine, get emergency help at once. Signs of an overdose include: dark urine, difficult or trouble breathing, irregular, fast or slow, or shallow breathing, nausea, vomiting, pain in the upper stomach, pale or blue lips, fingernails, or skin, pinpoint pupils of the eyes, or yellow eyes or skin.

This medicine may cause sleep-related breathing problems eg, sleep apnea, sleep-related hypoxemia. Your doctor may decrease your dose if you have sleep apnea stop breathing for short periods during sleep while using this medicine.

Check with your doctor right away if you have pain or tenderness in the upper stomach, pale stools, dark urine, loss of appetite, nausea, unusual tiredness or weakness, or yellow eyes or skin. These could be symptoms of a serious liver problem. Using this medicine while you are pregnant may cause serious unwanted effects, including neonatal withdrawal syndrome in your newborn baby. Tell your doctor right away if your child has the following symptoms: an abnormal sleep pattern, diarrhea, a high-pitched cry, irritability, shakiness or tremors, sneezing, weight loss, vomiting, yawning, or failure to gain weight.

Check with your doctor right away if you think you are pregnant or if you plan to become pregnant while using this medicine. Codeine is changed to morphine in the body. Some people change codeine to morphine more quickly than others. These individuals are called "ultra-rapid metabolizers of codeine". Contact your doctor immediately if you experience extreme sleepiness, confusion, or shallow breathing.

These symptoms may indicate that you are an "ultra-rapid metabolizer of codeine". As a result, there is too much morphine in the body and more side effects of morphine than usual. Children may be especially sensitive to this effect.

Do not give this medicine to:. If a nursing mother is an ultra-rapid metabolizer of codeine, it could lead to morphine overdose in the nursing baby and cause very serious side effects. This medicine may cause serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, angioedema, or certain skin conditions Stevens-Johnson syndrome. These reactions can be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention.

Call your doctor right away if you have a rash, itching, blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin, fever or chills, trouble breathing or swallowing, or any swelling of your hands, face, mouth, or throat while you are using this medicine. Dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting may occur when you get up suddenly from a lying or sitting position. Getting up slowly may help. Also, lying down for a while may relieve dizziness or lightheadedness.

This medicine may make you dizzy, drowsy, confused, or disoriented. Do not drive or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how this medicine affects you. This medicine will add to the effects of alcohol and other CNS depressants medicines that can make you drowsy or less alert. Some examples of CNS depressants are antihistamines or medicine for allergies or colds, sedatives, tranquilizers, or sleeping medicine, other prescription pain medicine or narcotics, medicine for seizures or barbiturates, muscle relaxants, or anesthetics, including some dental anesthetics.

Also, there may be a greater risk of liver damage if you drink 3 or more alcoholic beverages while you are taking acetaminophen. Do not drink alcoholic beverages, and check with your doctor before taking any of these medicines while you are using this medicine. Using narcotics for a long time can cause severe constipation.

To prevent this, your doctor may direct you to take laxatives, drink a lot of fluids, or increase the amount of fiber in your diet. Be sure to follow the directions carefully, because continuing constipation can lead to more serious problems.