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.

Avoid drinking alcohol. It may increase your risk of liver damage while taking acetaminophen.

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop taking this medication and call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

• nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite;

• dark urine, clay-colored stools;

• jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); or

• chest pain, trouble breathing.

Less serious side effects may include:

• vomiting;

• constipation;

• feeling agitated;

• headache; or

• sleep problems (insomnia).

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all other medicines you use, especially:

• an antibiotic, antifungal medicine, sulfa drug, or tuberculosis medicine;

• a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven);

• birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy;

• blood pressure medication;

• cancer medications;

• cholesterol-lowering medications such as Lipitor, Niaspan, Zocor, Vytorin, and others;

• gout or arthritis medications (including gold injections);

• HIV/AIDS medications;

• medicines to treat psychiatric disorders;

• an NSAID such as Advil, Aleve, Arthrotec, Cataflam, Celebrex, Indocin, Motrin, Naprosyn, Treximet, Voltaren, others; or

• seizure medications.

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with acetaminophen. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

Your pharmacist can provide more information about acetaminophen.