What is the maximum amount of acetaminophen you can take in one dose?

Answer:
I wouldn't take much more than 1,000mg at a time. You definitely don't want to take more than 4,000mg in a 24 hour period because it can cause serious liver damage.

---

I don't take more than 1,000mg.

---

Acetaminophen, or Tylenol is easy to overdose on, so be careful. The recommended dosage for an adult is 1000mg. You can probably take as much as 1500mg, but do not double the dose!

Acetaminophen is in many over the counter preparations, so be careful to read labels so you don't accidentally overdose.

Acetaminophen overdose can cause liver failure and possibly death.

I suggest you take Ibuprofen. The effective dose is much less than an overdose. Ibuprofen also last longer than acetaminophen.

Be careful!

---

If you are asking this question, you are on the verge of serious trouble. It, of course, depends on your weight, but you should never try to take a maximum allowable dose of acetaminophen (Tylenol). An overdose will result in LIVER FAILURE AND MAYBE DEATH. You will be much safer if you take ibuprofen (Motrin) instead. This over-the-counter analgesic (pain reliever) and antipyretic (fever-reducer) has much less potential for serious side effects.

---

There really is no max amount per dose. The recommendations regarding Acetamonophen (Tylenol) is a max per DAY.

In a normal, healthy adult, with good liver and kindey function, you should take a maximum of 4 grams (4000 mg) in a 24 hr period. This should be done for the shortest amount of time as possible. If you are maxing out on your dose daily long term - see your MD. It might be more serious than you think, or there are other more effective pain relievers that your doc can prescribe.

Any more and you risk toxicity, most commonly liver damage / failure. As with all drugs, you should use the least amount to acheive the desired effect. That is, if 500mg works, then don't take 1000mg. If you have a history of liver or kindey problems, then check with your doctor before taking ANY medication - the dosage may need to be reduced.

As others have stated, READ the labels. Many over the counter meds have Acetaminophen in them and you must account for all sources in a 24 hour period.

I agree that Ibuprofen or Naproxen might be a better choice, IF the source of the pain is due to inflamation. However, for pain such as headache, Tylenol works better for many people. Also, while Ibuprofen does not receive as much HYPE as Tylenol and liver toxicity, Ibuprofen and the other non-steroidal anti-inflamatory drugs (i.e. Naproxen, Aleve, Aspirin) do have their drawbacks. They all can cause thinning of your blood and lead to ulcers with chronic use / overuse.

Therefore - if you have a history of ulcers / GI problems, or take Coumadin (warfarin) or any other blood thinning medication, you should AVOID the Ibuprofen / Naproxen and stick with the Acetaminophen as the "safer" choice.

---