Category: A

A is for Acetaminophen

I first discovered this difference years ago when visiting my then-fiancé in Orlando. I came down sick with a bad cold and headache.

To read my drama of trying to resolve my cold, read on. Otherwise, to get to the point:

Jump to the Survival in the States’ Summary

panadol

I sniffle my way down the Cold & Flu aisle in Walgreens. Walgreens is a major US pharmacy chain you may already aware of, thanks to a pop culture reference in Big Bang Theory S3: E3 ‘The Gothowitz Deviation’).

I have my eyes peeled for a paracetamol-based product, as in Aus, paracetamol is an active ingredient for several pain-killer and cold and flu products. Panadol is a big one, and this is also available in other countries.

I find ibuprofen products like Advil, but I prefer paracetamol mixed in with a decongestant. But all I see jumping out at me in the active ingredients of the myriad of brands are Acetaminophen, Acetaminophen + this, Acetaminophen + that…

tylenol
‘Tylenol‘ by Mike Mozart licensed under CC BY 2.0

What is this strange, American drug?

It has to be some kind of equivalent to paracetamol I figure, “Tylenol” which features Acetaminophen sounds a lot like “Panadol,” but to what extent? I have side-effects to some over-the-counter meds, so I’m wary of trying…

I connect to the free Wi-Fi and Viber msg my graduate-pharmacist-sister:

“WTH is Acetaminophen?”

She messages me back:

“Acetaminophen is Panadol. Lol.”

Ohhhh ok.

I stock up on acetaminophen-based products like Tylenol and Alka-Seltzer Plus that help me survive the rest of the visit (I was hoping Alka-Seltzer tastes like Lemsip – to me, it tastes awful! Theraflu, which I discovered on my next trip, is similar).

And I sign up for a free Walgreens rewards card, wondering why on earth my fiancé didn’t sign up years ago. Compared to the Aussie pharmacy chains at the time, their points-based system looked awesome.

Survival in the States’ Summary

  • Paracetamol = Acetaminophen
    • Therefore, Panadol = Tylenol
  • Aussie brand Lemsip = a similar taste = Theraflu.
    • Avoid Alkaseltzer Plus. It doesn’t taste anything like Lemsip at all and has a bitter taste.
  • Ibuprofen = Ibuprofen.