Active Ingredient History

NOW
  • Now
Acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol, is commonly used for its analgesic and antipyretic effects. Its therapeutic effects are similar to salicylates, but it lacks anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet, and gastric ulcerative effects. Acetaminophen (USAN) or Paracetamol (INN) is a widely used analgesic and antipyretic drug that is used for the relief of fever, headaches, and other minor aches and pains. It is a major ingredient in numerous cold and flu medications and many prescription analgesics. It is extremely safe in standard doses, but because of its wide availability, deliberate or accidental overdoses are not uncommon. Acetaminophen, unlike other common analgesics such as aspirin and ibuprofen, has no anti-inflammatory properties or effects on platelet function, and it is not a member of the class of drugs known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs. At therapeutic doses, acetaminophen does not irritate the lining of the stomach nor affect blood coagulation, kidney function, or the fetal ductus arteriosus (as NSAIDs can). Acetaminophen is thought to act primarily in the CNS, increasing the pain threshold by inhibiting both isoforms of cyclooxygenase, COX-1, COX-2, and COX-3 enzymes involved in prostaglandin (PG) synthesis. Unlike NSAIDs, acetaminophen does not inhibit cyclooxygenase in peripheral tissues and, thus, has no peripheral anti-inflammatory affects. Acetaminophen indirectly blocks COX, and that this blockade is ineffective in the presence of peroxides. This might explain why acetaminophen is effective in the central nervous system and in endothelial cells but not in platelets and immune cells, which have high levels of peroxides. Studies also report data suggesting that acetaminophen selectively blocks a variant of the COX enzyme that is different from the known variants COX-1 and COX-2. This enzyme is now referred to as COX-3. Its exact mechanism of action is still poorly understood, but future research may provide further insight into how it works. The antipyretic properties of acetaminophen are likely due to direct effects on the heat-regulating centers of the hypothalamus resulting in peripheral vasodilation, sweating and hence heat dissipation.   NCATS

More Chemistry

Drug Pricing (per unit)

United States

$0.0067 - $23.9195

Australia

$0.0129 - $13.7538
More Pricing Detail

Note: This drug pricing data is preliminary, incomplete, and may contain errors.

Combination drugs

( ibuprofen (motrin), acetaminophen (tylenol) )
|
( acetaminophen (tylenol), caffeine, butalbital (fiornal) - other name: esgic-plus )
| |
( acetaminophen (tylenol), codeine (Phenergan) - other names: codrix, papa-deine, phenaphen w/ codeine , tylenol w/ codeine, tylenol w/ codeine )
| |
( acetaminophen (tylenol), propoxyphene (Darvon) - other names: darvocet a, darvocet-n, wygesic )
|
( acetaminophen (tylenol), caffeine, dihydrocodeine - other names: synalgos-dc-a, trezix )
| | |
( acetaminophen (tylenol), caffeine, codeine (Phenergan), butalbital (fiornal) - other names: butalbital; acetaminophen; caffeine; codeine, phrenilin with caffeine and codeine )
|
( hydrocodone (hycodan), acetaminophen (tylenol) - other names: allay, anexsia, bancap hc, co-gesic, hydrocodone/acetaminophen 5 mg-325 mg oral tablet, lorcet-h, lortab, norcet, norco, tycolet, vicodin, vicodin es, vicodin hp, zydone, zyfrel )
|
( oxycodone (oxycontin), acetaminophen (tylenol) - other names: oxycet, oxycodone 2.5/apap, oxycodone 5/apap, oxycodone and acetaminophen, roxicet, roxilox, tylox, xartemis xr )
|
( acetaminophen (tylenol), butalbital (fiornal) - other names: allzital, bucet, butapap, phrenilin forte, sedapap, tencon, triaprin )
| | |
4-acetamidophenol | 4-(acetylamino)phenol | 4'-hydroxyacetanilide | abdine | acenol | acephen | acetaminofen | acetaminofén | acetaminophen | acétaminophène | acetaminophen mixture with caffeine and dipyrone | acetaminophen mixture with oxycodone hydrochloride | acetominophen | alvedon | aminofen | angiers | apap | calpol | calpol six plus | calpol six plus fastmelts | child lemsip | crystacide | cupanol | dafalgan | datril | disprol | disprol infant | disprol jnr | disprol paed | fennings | galpamol | hedex | hioxyl | hydrogen peroxide | hydrogen peroxide topical solution | hydroxyphenolacetamide | hyrdogen peroxide | iff flavor 316 282 | infadrops | infants' feverall | injectapap | junior parapaed | mandanol | medinol | medinol for children | medinol over 6 | medinol under 6 | medised plain | miradol | mnk-795 | n-acetyl-p-aminophenol | neopap | ofirmev | oxycodone-acetaminophen | oxydol | p-acetamidophenol | p-acetaminophenol | p-acetylaminophenol | paldesic | panadol | panadol actifast | panadol actifast solb | panadol advan | panadol jnr | panadol oa | panaleve | panaleve 6 plus | paracetamol | paracétamol | paracetamolum | paramin | parapaed jnr | parapaed six plus | paravict | paxerol | percocet | perfalgan | peroxide | peroxyl | phenaphen | phpa cpd | p-hydroxy-acetanilid | p-hydroxyacetanilide | p-hydroxyphenolacetamide | placidex | rimadol | salzone | sch 484 | tixymol | tramadol hydrochloride and acetaminophen | tramil 500 | tylenol

Feedback

Data collection and curation is an ongoing process for CDEK - if you notice any information here to be missing or incorrect, please let us know! When possible, please include a source URL (we verify all data prior to inclusion).

Report issue