Can You Take Tylenol With Sudafed?
In our latest question and answer, the pharmacist discusses whether or not Tylenol can safely be taken with Sudafed (pseudoephedrine).
Hello! I have a nasty sinus headache and want to know if it is safe to take Tylenol and Sudafed together. I have both in my medicine cabinet.
Jul 20, 2022- Tylenol and Sudafed are safe to take together with no drug interaction between them. Tylenol relieves pain and reduces fever while Sudafed relieves nasal congestion and sinus pressure. These medications used to be combined in single products but are now typically taken separately since pseudoephedrine is kept behind the pharmacy counter.
Answer
Hello and thanks for reaching out! I'm sorry to hear you're dealing with a sinus headache. We're more than happy to provide some guidance.
Tylenol (acetaminophen) and Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) are perfectly safe to take together. There is no drug interaction between them.
In fact, before pseudoephedrine went 'behind the counter' and required identification before being purchased (due to the stipulations outlined in the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act (CMEA)), you could regularly find products that contained both acetaminophen and pseudoephedrine in a single product. These products included:
- Tylenol Sinus
- Ornex
- Sudafed Sinus and Cold
Most of these products have been discontinued, or have had pseudoephedrine replaced with another decongestant, phenylephrine, which allows them to stay on pharmacy shelves. You can still find pseudoephedrine in combination with other pain relievers, like ibuprofen (e.g. Advil Cold and Sinus) though.
So, going back to your question, to reiterate, Tylenol and Sudafed are okay to take together and do not interfere with one another. I don't think you'll be able to find a single product that contains both anymore, but it's not a problem to just take them separately.
About Tylenol
Tylenol (acetaminophen) is used to relieve mild to moderate pain from headaches, muscle aches, menstrual periods, colds and sore throats, toothaches, backaches, and reactions to vaccinations (shots), and to reduce fever. It may also be used to relieve the pain of osteoarthritis (arthritis caused by the breakdown of the lining of the joints).
Tylenol is in a class of medications called analgesics (pain relievers) and antipyretics (fever reducers). It works by changing the way the body senses pain and by cooling the body.
About Sudafed
Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) is used to relieve nasal congestion caused by colds, allergies, and hay fever. It is also used to temporarily relieve sinus congestion and pressure. It will relieve symptoms but will not treat the cause of the symptoms or speed recovery.
Sudafed is in a class of medications called nasal decongestants. It works by causing narrowing of the blood vessels in the nasal passages.
Glossary — Terms in This Answer
- Acetaminophen
- A pain reliever and fever reducer medication commonly known by the brand name Tylenol.
- Pseudoephedrine
- A decongestant medication that reduces nasal congestion by narrowing blood vessels in the nasal passages.
- Drug interaction
- A situation where two medications taken together affect each other or cause unexpected effects.
- Decongestant
- A medication that relieves nasal congestion and sinus pressure.
- Phenylephrine
- A decongestant medication that works similarly to pseudoephedrine and is available over-the-counter on pharmacy shelves.
- Ibuprofen
- A pain reliever and anti-inflammatory medication commonly known by the brand name Advil.
- Analgesics
- A class of medications used to relieve pain.
- Antipyretics
- A class of medications used to reduce fever.
Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD
Doctor of Pharmacy, board certified clinical pharmacist (BCPS), American Herbalist Guild, Medication Therapy Management certified
Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS, is a licensed pharmacist with more than 13 years of experience across retail pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, medication safety, pharmacy program development, and healthcare administration. He is the founder of HelloPharmacist.com, where he helps patients...
More answers from Brian →