Use for Tylenol 3
Tylenol 3 is the brand name for acetaminophen/codeine, an oral medicine that is used for the treatment and management of pain that ranges from mild to moderate in severity. It is comprised of acetaminophen (a common pain reliever) and codeine, which is a narcotic drug. Codeine functions on various brain centers in order to decrease pain. Tylenol 3 also contains caffeine. Apart from pain management, Tylenol 3 is also used to stop coughing.
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Medical Conditions
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Tylenol 3 can be used to treat and reduce the pain associated with a wide array of conditions including, but not limited to, headache, painful menstrual periods, muscle pain, dental pain, pain caused by an accident, and pain following a surgical procedure. It also can be used to decrease fever.
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Use
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Tylenol 3 must be used as directed by a physician. You should not take more or less than your recommended amount. If you are unsure about this, you need to consult your doctor. In general, individuals are advised to take 1 or 2 Tylenol 3 tablets every 4 hours or so. However, unless told to do so by a physician, Tylenol 3 should not be taken for over 5 days for pain management, or for over 3 days to reduce fever.
Common Side Effects
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Tylenol 3 has the possibility of causing some minor and common side effects, which include nausea, throwing up, drowsiness, dizziness, feeling lightheaded, changes in vision, mood and mental changes, and flushing. Should these side effects intensify with time, you need to speak with your doctor about them.
Severe Side Effects
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Severe side effects of Tylenol 3 are very uncommon, but can occur occasionally. Some severe effects of the medicine are irregular or slow heartbeat, irregular or slow breathing, and urine amount changes (either more or less). You must get emergency medical attention if you experience any of these effects.
Caution
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Not everyone should use Tylenol 3. It is not safe or appropriate for everybody. You need to talk to your doctor before taking this medication. Some types of individuals are advised against using Tylenol 3, such as those with severe breathing issues (like hypercapnia and respiratory depression), and extreme diarrhea (like infectious diarrhea resulting from toxins or pseudomembranous colitis).
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References
- Photo Credit "Drupal headache" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: Jacob Bøtter under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
