Acetaminophen
From Encyclopædia
Acetaminophen is a
drug often used as a substitute for ASPIRIN to relieve
pain and reduce
fever. Best known by the trade name Tylenol, acetaminophen is an ANALGESIC. It relieves moderate
pain of
headacheS and muscle or peripheral nerve disorders, but not intense
pain or the
pain caused by spasms of smooth muscles (such as the muscles lining the digestive or urinary tracts). Its virtue as an aspirin substitute is that it does not upset the
stomach, as aspirin sometimes does. However, it does not have the anti-inflammatory and antirheumatic properties of aspirin. Acetaminophen's
fever-reducing, or antipyretic, properties result from its chemical similarity to the antipyretic
drug phenacetin, which is a more toxic chemical.
