Can You Take DayQuil And Tylenol At The Same Time?

Sometimes, your head aches and your back feels sore. If you work out a lot or have a physically demanding job, these aches and pains might be commonplace. Aches and pains can also come from menstrual cramps. If you suffer from any of these, you may have taken acetaminophen, an over-the-counter medicine used for killing pain (via MedlinePlus). Acetaminophen — which is sold under the brand Tylenol — is also used to treat cold and flu symptoms, such as fever. For example, the cold and flu medication known as DayQuil is taken to treat symptoms like cough, fever, congested nose, sinus pressure, sore throat, and aches and pain (per GoodRx). DayQuil also happens to contain acetaminophen. 

If you are in the habit of taking Tylenol when you are in pain and you also use DayQuil while you are sick, you might wonder if it's safe to take both at the same time. Here's everything you need to know about the risks of taking DayQuil and Tylenol at the same time and whether you should avoid it.

According to Hello Pharmacist, you should not take DayQuil and Tylenol at the same time because both contain the ingredient acetaminophen. If both are being taken, the recommended time between dosing Tylenol or DayQuil should be four to six hours. If you take both of them at the same time, you risk overdosing on acetaminophen. MedlinePlus notes that people are not advised to take more than 4,000mg of acetaminophen per day. As such, taking DayQuil and Tylenol at the same time can make an accurate dosage difficult to identify.

Healthline notes that acetaminophen overdose can cause liver damage, and in severe cases, it can be fatal. Symptoms of an acetaminophen overdose include abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. Acetaminophen overdose is quite common in the United States and accounts for over 55,000 trips to the emergency department and some 500 deaths per year, reports StatPearls.

Notably, those who have prior liver damage, consume three or more alcoholic drinks a day, or take the anticoagulant warfarin should talk to their doctor before taking acetaminophen (per Healthline).