With school, sports, and jobs, people do not exactly have time to take sick days off. Instead of resting and allowing their bodies to naturally recover, many people make the choice to take prescription drugs such as Tylenol and Advil. Both of these drugs are miraculous healers that take effect within an hour and allow people to carry on with their daily, busy schedule. But is one of them better? Should more people take Tylenol when they are sick or should more people take Advil when they get ill?
Tylenol is a pain reliever containing the active ingredient acetaminophen, which works to raise the body’s pain threshold. Tylenol can be used to reduce fevers and provide relief from colds, headaches, minor pains, menstrual cramps, and arthritis. Some side effects of acetaminophen include severe liver damage, difficulty sleeping, and vomiting.
Unlike Tylenol, Advil contains ibuprofen, which is an anti-inflammatory drug containing aspirin and naproxen sodium. Advil can be used to treat fever, headaches, minor arthritis pain, menstrual cramps, and inflammation. Advil can cause side effects involving gastrointestinal problems, such as a internal bleeding and stomach cramps.
In survey for U.S News, hundreds of pharmacists were asked which prescription drug they recommended most. The results were: 27% of pharmacists said Tylenol, 24% of pharmacists said Excedrin, and 23% said Advil. The results are published in the Pharmacy Times OTC Guide and U.S. News’ Top Recommended Health Products.
Tylenol is the #1 doctor recommended brand of pain reliever in the United States. Zahid Bajwa- director of the Headache Institute at Boston PainCare Center and secretary of the American Academy of Pain Medicine- concludes that Tylenol was ranked number one because of its minimal side effects in comparison to those of Advil (stomach irritation, heartburn, dizziness, nausea and vomiting).
However, although Tylenol is ranked #1 due to its fewer side effects, Advil is stronger and lasts longer. In a study in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, it was found that ibuprofen in Advil reduced fevers better than acetaminophen in Tylenol at two, four, and six hours after taking the recommended dosage.
So the next time you get sick, make sure you consider thoroughly which pain reliever best suites you and your illness. By understanding the side effects of pain relievers, you can make sure you recover faster to get back to your daily schedule.
Sources Used:
http://www.parents.com/health/hygiene/childrens-health-myths/
http://www.everydayhealth.com/drugs/tylenol
http://health.clevelandclinic.org/2013/09/acetaminophen-vs-ibuprofen-which-works-better/
http://www.drugs.com/advil.html
image- http://jacksonville.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/superphoto/editorial/images/images/mdControlled/cms/2011/03/30/806795713.jpg
On the scope of sports, from experience many track athletes (and athletes in general) often look towards either of these pain relief medications due to muscle soreness, pain, or even injuries. Reassuring to read from your entry that Advil is most effective as an anti-inflammatory since I would use it with my muscle soreness in my hip flexor/groin before I would race. Although, this had me note the effectiveness of taking this pain reliever before or after muscle performance? A study concludesthat the ibuprofen in advil does “delay” the common muscle soreness for athletes experience. But still, what if you were to take it before “eccentric exercise”?
I found this post to be very interesting! I never really considered talking Tylenol for the fact that I have always used Advil as my preferred pain killer, but now knowing that there are more side effects with Advil in comparison to Tylenol, I am strongly considering switchings over! Great information!
Thank you for answering this question for me! I have always wondered if there was actually any difference between Advil and Tylenol, but now I know. I find it strange that Tylenol is ranked number 1 doctor recommended because it has less side effects than Advil. While Advil lasts longer and is stronger. I have taken both Advil and Tylenol and have never really noticed a difference let alone felt a side effect from either, but now that I know the difference between the two I will most likely choose whichever pain killer that matches my symptoms.
As a frequent user of Advil, I am surprised to see that Tylenol is more preferred among doctors and is recommended more. I guess they take in the fact that with less side effects, Tylenol is deemed safer than Advil. Reading these side effects for both drugs sound unpleasant. I believe there really is not much of a difference between the two. As long as one reads the directions and doesn’t take more than is prescribed, they should be fine. Interesting article! I have even never heard of Excedrin and it is the second most recommended.
I have taken both medications, but I often tend to lean toward Motrin in the long run. You are definitely correct when you say Advil is stronger because I know it works that way for me. However, stronger does not always mean better and I think many people would believe that it does. I suppose it’s best to look at all of the factors as well as who you are as an individual. So much can play into medication, and a person has to be very careful. It’s always a good idea to talk to a doctor before you take anything, just because there are so many variables that come into play.
Link for my pervious comment: http://www.wsj.com/articles/advil-vs-tylenol-which-to-use-and-when-1431364490
I think the headlining title of this blog is limiting because there are many factors that play into the preference of Tylenol and Advil. When talking about smokers in Siow class, we could not conclude an concrete result of smoking because many factors have a role, including existing 3rd factors in many of peoples lives. One thing that prevented the effects of smoking to not have a concrete conclusion is that genes vary. The body reacts differently for different types of people and for different types of circumstances. For example, one day Advil may be a better solution for your pain, but on another occasion Tylenol could be the better solution. I think for this topic, it is hard to prove which is better because there are so many variations of pains and sicknesses, but also because there is so many third factors that could play a role in different people.
I find this blog very interesting. I would never think to research this topic but I am always trying to figure out which of the two I am suppose to take for certain things. Great blog!