Drug of the Week - Tylenol #3

Remember when I said I was going to do a drug of the week? Well it never happened, and for several reasons. It took more time to do than I wanted to spend, and I didn't have or know the resources to use. I am in the process of revamping the website, and I found a draft of a post about a drug I never really finished. Knowing what I know now, it's funny to see what I thought was and wasn't important about a medication. What you see below is the unedited entry from August 12.

And please, don't base your medical decisions on what you read here. I'm just a pharmacy student. I have a disclaimer at the bottom of the page, after all.

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Tylenol #3

Tylenol 3 is simply 300mg of Tylenol and 30mg of codeine. Because of the codeine, it is not available over-the-counter (OTC).

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Tylenol

Other names: acetaminophen (a-seet-a-MIN-oh-fen), APAP

Acetaminophen is not an NSAID (see below).

The maximum dosage is 4000mg per day. Taking more than that is a good way to literally destroy your liver, and die in several days from liver failure.

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Codeine (KOE-deen)

Codeine is an opiate that relieves pain, coughing, and diarrhea. Your body actually converts codeine into morphine.

Codeine is a schedule five drug (CV, see below) in the United States, but is a CIII in Minnesota. Oddly enough, you can buy small quantities of codeine cough syrup OTC in Wisconsin.

Codeine shouldn't be taken on an empty stomach.

If someone says that they are allergic to codeine, ask them what their reaction was. If it made their tummy hurt, it's probably not an allergy. An allergic reaction would be a rash or hives.

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NSAID (EN-sed)

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Examples include aspirin, ibuprofen, and Celebrex.

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Drug Schedule

The United States FDA schedules drugs that have, among other things, a potential for abuse. This is not the technical definition, but this gives you an idea...

• Schedule I (CI) - Illegal drugs with a high potential for abuse. Examples include heroin, cannabis (marijuana), peyote.
• Schedule II (CII) - Legal drugs with a high potential for abuse. Examples include morphine, Oxycontin, and Ritalin.
• Schedule III (CIII) - Drugs with less abuse potential that CII's and moderate to low addiction potential. Examples include anabolic steroids, Vicodin, and Ketamine.
• Schedule IV (CIV) - Drugs with less abuse potential that CIII's and limited addiction potential. Examples include Valium, Ambien, and Darvocet.
• Schedule V (CV) - Drugs with less abuse potential that CIV's and limited addiction potential. Examples include small amounts of opium, small amounts of codeine.