Did I take too much acetaminophen? :( HELP PLEASE

Question

I have an ear infection, im 16.. my doc told me to take tylenol so i took acetaminophen.. each caplet is 500 mg.. which i thought was just 200 mg.. cause i usually take 2 advil.. i took 2 of these.. it says adults and kids over 12 years take 1 every 4 hours.. whats going to happen? :S!!!

Answer 1

Don't worry. Two 500 mg pills the maximum you should take, but it's a normal dose. The maximum you should take in a 24 hour period is 4000 mg. More than that, and you could damage your liver.

Answer 2

I have a chronic illness and often take 1000 mg at a time, so you should be alright.  Tylenol Extra Strength is 500 mg a tablet and the directions say for an adult to take 2 every 4 to 6 hours but no more than 8 tablets in 24 hours.

However, you should be much more careful in the future as. according to the National Institute of Health...

"Acetaminophen overdose is one of the most common poisonings worldwide. People often think that acetaminophen, a pain-relieving medicine, is extremely safe. However, it may be deadly if taken in large doses."

and

"You should not take more than 4000 mg of acetaminophen a day. Taking more, especially 7000 mg or more, can lead to a severe overdose if not treated."

Answer 3

That's the normal dose. Moreover, as a one-time thing, there's a huge safety factor with acetaminophen, with the acutely toxic dose being ten times or more the therapeutic dose.