What is acetaminophen injection?
Acetaminophen is a pain reliever and a fever reducer.
Acetaminophen injection is used to treat pain and to reduce fever. Acetaminophen injection is sometimes given with opioid (sometimes called narcotic) pain medication to treat moderate to severe pain.
Acetaminophen injection may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What is the most important information I should know about acetaminophen injection?
You should not use this medication if you are allergic to acetaminophen, or if you have severe liver disease.
Do not use more of this medication than is recommended. An overdose of acetaminophen can damage your liver or cause death.
Before using acetaminophen injection, tell your doctor if you have a history of alcoholism or liver disease (especially cirrhosis), or if you drink more than 3 alcoholic beverages per day.
Avoid drinking alcohol. It may increase your risk of liver damage while using acetaminophen injection.
Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any other cold, allergy, pain, or sleep medication. Acetaminophen (sometimes abbreviated as APAP) is contained in many combination medicines. Taking certain products together can cause you to get too much acetaminophen which can lead to a fatal overdose. Check the label to see if a medicine contains acetaminophen or APAP.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before using acetaminophen injection?
You should not use this medication if you are allergic to acetaminophen, or if you have severe liver disease.
Before using acetaminophen injection, tell your doctor if you have ever had alcoholic liver disease (cirrhosis) or if you drink more than 3 alcoholic beverages per day.
To make sure you can safely use this medication, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:
kidney disease; or
if you are malnourished.
FDA pregnancy category C. Your doctor will determine whether acetaminophen is safe for you to use during pregnancy. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medication.
Acetaminophen can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Acetaminophen injection should not be given to a child younger than 2 years old.