Is Tylenol Safe To Take With Antibiotics?

Answer

Hi there and thanks for contacting us!

This is a really broad question, as there are a large number of different antibiotics that may be prescribed to someone. There are certainly some antibiotics where Tylenol (acetaminophen) may not be the best option as a pain-reliever due to a potential interaction.

Having said that, Tylenol is generally safe with most antibiotics. I'll get into specific precautions in the next section, but by and large, Tylenol is a pain-reliever that can be used with your most commonly prescribed antibiotics.

What Antibiotics Are Safe With Tylenol?

As mentioned, Tylenol is perfectly safe to combine with most antibiotics. This includes:

• Amoxicillin
• Augmentin (amoxicillin; clavulanic acid)
• Penicillin
• Clindamycin
• Bactrim (sulfamethoxazole; trimethoprim)
• Keflex (cephalexin)
• Clarithromycin
• Ampicillin
• Erythromycin
• Ciprofloxacin
• Levofloxacin
• Azithromycin

None of the antibiotics above are known to interact with Tylenol. In fact, Tylenol is often recommended with these antibiotics to help relieve the pain and fever that can be caused by bacterial infections. 

Antibiotic - Tylenol Interactions

While most antibiotics are safe with Tylenol, there are some where it may not be the first option, or there is a specific precaution to take into consideration. These antibiotics tend to be less commonly used, but are prescribed under certain circumstances. These antibiotics include:

• Isoniazid
• Dapsone
• Penicillin G
• Rifabutin
• Rifampin

The above antibiotics are used for very specific reasons and are not used for your more typical conditions caused by bacterial infections, like bronchitis, sinus infections, pneumonia, etc.

Isoniazid, for example, is an antibiotic used for tuberculosis. When combined with Tylenol, there is an increased risk of liver toxicity. Isoniazid on its own can cause problems with the liver, and Tylenol only increases this risk.

Dapsone, for another example, is an antibiotic that is less commonly used. When combined with Tylenol, there is an increased risk of a condition known as methemoglobinemia (a disorder in which too little oxygen is delivered to the cells).

If you are taking any of the above antibiotics, you should speak to your doctor first before combining them with Tylenol.

Final Words

Thanks again for your question.

The bottom line here is that the vast majority of antibiotics are safe with Tylenol, but there are a few outliers.

If you have any concerns or want more information on what I've talked about here, please feel free to reach back out!