{"id":39947,"date":"2023-06-18T07:15:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-18T07:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bensnaturalhealth.com\/blog\/?post_type=generalhealth&p=39947"},"modified":"2026-04-05T08:28:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T08:28:30","slug":"acetaminophen-vs-ibuprofen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bensnaturalhealth.com\/blog\/general-health\/acetaminophen-vs-ibuprofen\/","title":{"rendered":"Acetaminophen vs Ibuprofen: Which Painkiller is Best for You?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You probably have a bottle of over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers in your medicine cabinet right now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

OTC pain reliever use is incredibly common, with one survey<\/a> citing that 83% of people had used an OTC pain reliever in the last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are several types of pain relievers you can choose from to ease minor aches and pains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two of the more common OTC pain relievers are acetaminophen and ibuprofen, which are widely available worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While they\u2019re both used to help relieve minor pain, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen do have their differences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ll review the common uses, side effects, safety information, and much more for acetaminophen vs ibuprofen in this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is acetaminophen?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Acetaminophen is an analgesic medication, which means it works to reduce pain and can reduce fevers. (It is also considered an antipyretic medication, which means it helps reduce fever.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acetaminophen is not <\/em>considered an NSAID, which stands for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, it\u2019s classified as a \u201cmiscellaneous\u201d and non-narcotic analgesic and is available over the counter without a prescription. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most well-known brands of acetaminophen is Tylenol, but there are many others, which we\u2019ll review later in this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The strength of acetaminophen tablets varies, ranging from 80 milligrams to 650 milligrams per tablet or capsule. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acetaminophen is available in regular and extended-release tablets and capsules, liquid suspensions, chewable tablets, and disintegrating tablets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The daily dose of acetaminophen shouldn\u2019t exceed 4,000 milligrams per day for adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acetaminophen was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 1950 and has been available over-the-counter since 1955.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is ibuprofen?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to reduce pain, and like acetaminophen, it can be used as a fever-reducer. The most well-known brand name of ibuprofen is Advil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ibuprofen is available in strengths ranging from 100-400 milligrams each (tablets and capsules), with higher strengths available through prescription (up to 800 milligrams each). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like acetaminophen, ibuprofen is available in tablets, capsules, chewable tablets, and liquid oral suspension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ibuprofen has been available over-the-counter in the United States since 1984. The maximum recommended dose of ibuprofen for adults is 3,200 milligrams per day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brand name versions <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are several different brand names for both acetaminophen and ibuprofen. Each contains the active ingredient of either acetaminophen or ibuprofen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are common brand names in the United States; brand names in other countries may vary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Common brand names for acetaminophen<\/strong><\/td>Common brand names for ibuprofen<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Acephen<\/td>Addaprin<\/td><\/tr>
Actamin Maximum Strength<\/td>Advil<\/td><\/tr>
Altenol<\/td>A-G Profen<\/td><\/tr>
Aminofen<\/td>Bufen<\/td><\/tr>
Anacin Aspirin Free<\/td>Genpril<\/td><\/tr>
Apra<\/td>Haltran<\/td><\/tr>
Arthritis Pain Relief<\/td>Ibu<\/td><\/tr>
Cetafen<\/td>Ibu-2<\/td><\/tr>
Childrens Mapap<\/td>Ibu-200<\/td><\/tr>
Childrens Nortemp<\/td>Ibu-4<\/td><\/tr>
Comtrex Sore Throat Relief<\/td>Ibu-6<\/td><\/tr>
Dolono<\/td>Ibu-8<\/td><\/tr>
Febrol<\/td>Ibuprohm<\/td><\/tr>
Feverall<\/td>Ibu-Tab<\/td><\/tr>
Genapap<\/td>I-Prin<\/td><\/tr>
Genebs<\/td>Midol<\/td><\/tr>
Infantaire<\/td>Motrin<\/td><\/tr>
Mapap<\/td>Nuprin<\/td><\/tr>
Mapap Arthritis Pain<\/td>Proprinal<\/td><\/tr>
Pain-Eze Rheu-Thritis<\/td>Q-Profen<\/td><\/tr>
Pyrecot<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Pyregesic<\/td><\/tr>
Q-Pap<\/td><\/tr>
Redutemp<\/td><\/tr>
Silapap<\/td><\/tr>
T-Painol<\/td><\/tr>
Tycolene<\/td><\/tr>
Tylenol<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Acetaminophen vs ibuprofen<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The below sections compare acetaminophen vs ibuprofen, including uses, side effects, safety profile, benefits, cost, availability, differences, and similarities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Acetaminophen<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Acetaminophen is most commonly used to treat minor pain, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n