Drug & supplement interaction

Glucosamine + Acetaminophen, Butalbital, Codeine Phosphate

Acetaminophen, Butalbital, Codeine Phosphate brand name: Phrenilin #3.

Minor Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Minor

Glucosamine has a minor interaction with Acetaminophen, Butalbital, Codeine Phosphate. Acetaminophen might interfere with the activity of glucosamine sulfate by interacting with the sulfate portion.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMinor
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceB
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Facebook Post Reddit Email
On this page
Interaction report

Glucosamine and Acetaminophen, Butalbital, Codeine Phosphate

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Minor

ACETAMINOPHEN (Tylenol, others)

Acetaminophen might interfere with the activity of glucosamine sulfate by interacting with the sulfate portion.
Anecdotal reports suggest that adding glucosamine to an acetaminophen regimen might decrease pain control in patients with osteoarthritis. Some research suggests that the sulfate portion of glucosamine sulfate might contribute to its effect in osteoarthritis. Since acetaminophen metabolism requires sulfur and reduces serum sulfate concentrations, acetaminophen could theoretically interfere with the action of glucosamine sulfate. Conversely, the administration of sulfate could theoretically decrease the effectiveness of acetaminophen in sulfate-deficient people by increasing its clearance.
Severity Minor Likelihood Possible Evidence B

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the thing with this combo. Phrenilin #3 contains acetaminophen (Tylenol), and the interaction on file is really about that acetaminophen piece bumping into glucosamine sulfate. Your body uses sulfate to process acetaminophen, so in theory the two could tug on each other's sulfate supply. The worry runs both ways: the acetaminophen might slightly blunt how well glucosamine helps your joints, and glucosamine's sulfate could nudge acetaminophen to clear a bit faster, possibly giving you a touch less pain relief.

Honestly, this is a minor interaction built mostly on theory and a few anecdotal reports, so I wouldn't lose sleep over it. The codeine and butalbital in your pill aren't involved here. If your pain control ever feels off, just mention it to your pharmacist or doctor.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Hoffer LJ, Kaplan LN, Hamadeh MJ, et al. Sulfate could mediate the therapeutic effect of glucosamine sulfate. Metabolism 2001;50:767-70.. PubMed
  2. Bush TM, Rayburn KS, Holloway SW, et al. Adverse interactions between herbal and dietary substances and prescription medications: a clinical survey. Altern Ther Health Med 2007;13:30-5.

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Glucosamine Also Interacts With Other Medications

Glucosamine has 2 major, 13 moderate, 154 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Acetaminophen, Butalbital, Codeine Phosphate one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 2 Moderate 13 Minor 154 No known interaction 2,661 (incl. Acetaminophen, Butalbital, Codeine Phosphate)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Glucosamine

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Glucosamine. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Glucosamine or Acetaminophen, Butalbital, Codeine Phosphate

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Glucosamine or Acetaminophen, Butalbital, Codeine Phosphate, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Acetaminophen, Butalbital, Codeine Phosphate

This page covers Glucosamine only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Acetaminophen, Butalbital, Codeine Phosphate page lists 240 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major) and Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) (major).

Open the Acetaminophen, Butalbital, Codeine Phosphate interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Glucosamine as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 1,984 real supplement products containing Glucosamine, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Glucosamine. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Acetaminophen, Butalbital, Codeine Phosphate too, on top of Glucosamine — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Glucosamine and Acetaminophen, Butalbital, Codeine Phosphate Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Glucosamine
Top 10%

#114 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Acetaminophen, Butalbital, Codeine Phosphate
Steady interest

#1,523 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Glucosamine

What is Glucosamine?

Glucosamine
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Joint pain and stiffness
  • Cartilage support
  • Knee and hip joint health

Glucosamine is a natural compound found in cartilage and joint fluid, and it is one of the most popular supplements for osteoarthritis, especially of the knee. The evidence is mixed, with some people getting modest relief while others get little to no benefit. It is generally well tolerated, but talk to your pharmacist or doctor before starting it, especially if you have a shellfish allergy or diabetes.

Read the full Glucosamine monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Glucosamine

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Glucosamine — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

2Major
13Moderate
154Minor
2,660No known interaction
2 Major 13 Moderate 154 Minor 2,660 No interaction
Major

2 interactions

Moderate

13 interactions

Minor

154 interactions

Showing 60 of 154 minor interactions — see all 154 on the Glucosamine page.

No interaction 2,660 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Glucosamine against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,660 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Glucosamine list.

See the full Glucosamine interactions page
See every supplement checked against Acetaminophen, Butalbital, Codeine Phosphate, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Glucosamine monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Acetaminophen, Butalbital, Codeine Phosphate supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Acetaminophen, Butalbital, Codeine Phosphate, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Glucosamine and Acetaminophen, Butalbital, Codeine Phosphate Together: Common Questions

Can you take Glucosamine with Acetaminophen, Butalbital, Codeine Phosphate?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Glucosamine and Acetaminophen, Butalbital, Codeine Phosphate interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Acetaminophen, Butalbital, Codeine Phosphate and Glucosamine?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.