Does Tylenol cause hallucinations?
By
Dr Milena Locci de Oliveira (PhD)
Author bio
Dr Milena Locci de Oliveira is a Pharmacist and Doctor of Philosophy in Sciences from the University of São Paulo (USP). She has experience in microbiology, analytical toxicology, and clinical pharmacokinetics. She writes and reviews content on these topics.
Dr Milena’s Highlights:
-PhD in Sciences, University of São Paulo, Brazil, 2019.
-University College London (UCL) – Semester of remote collaboration in the areas of Pharmacometrics and Population Pharmacokinetics, 2018.
-Bachelor in Biochemical Pharmacy, University of São Paulo, Brazil, 2013.
“Science can be translated, and it is essential that everyone has access to quality information to make informed decisions” – Dr Milena Oliveira, PhD.
Professional Experience:
With a decade-long career as a researcher, Dr Milena has amassed extensive experience in conducting research projects in microbiology, analytical toxicology, and clinical pharmacokinetics.
Her expertise also extends to the preparation of technical and scientific reports, literature reviews, data analysis, and scientific communication, both oral and written.
Dr Milena has served as a Clinical Pharmacist, providing expert supervision and guidance to teams during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in the ICUs of two reference hospitals for patient hospitalization.
In her most recent role, Dr Milena worked on the implementation of the deliberatives of the São Paulo State Government Pharmaceutical Assistance Coordination. These decisions were aimed at ensuring medication access within the Unified Health System.
A widely multidisciplinary background enabled Dr Milena to become a professional capable of integrating scientific knowledge into private initiatives, education, and healthcare, delivering consistent services in patient safety and population health.
Professional Memberships & Affiliations:
Dr Milena Oliveira is a member of the Regional Council of Pharmacy of the State of São Paulo, Brazil.
Education:
-PhD in Sciences, University of São Paulo, Brazil, 2019.
-University College London (UCL) – Semester of remote collaboration, 2018.
-Bachelor in Biochemical Pharmacy, University of São Paulo, Brazil, 2013.
Relevant Published Work & Citations:
Oliveira ML de, Rocha A, Nardotto GHB, Pippa LF, Simões BP, Lanchote VL. Analysis of daunorubicin and its metabolite daunorubicinol in plasma and urine with application in the evaluation of total, renal and metabolic formation clearances in patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis. Nov 2020. 191:113-124.
Abstracts. CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology. 2020 Nov; 9 (S1).
Pippa LF, Oliveira ML de, Rocha A, de Andrade JM, Lanchote VL. Total, renal and hepatic clearances of doxorubicin and formation clearance of doxorubicinol in patients with breast cancer: Estimation of doxorubicin hepatic extraction ratio. Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis. 2020 Jun 5; 185:113-231.
Godoy ALPC, De Jesus C, De Oliveira ML, Rocha A, Pereira MPM, Larangeira DF, Lanchote VL, Barrouin-Melo SM. Determination of Allopurinol and Oxypurinol in Dogs Plasma by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with an Ultraviolet Detector: Application for Pharmacokinetic Studies. J Chromatogr Sep Tech. 2017; 8 (4).
Clímaco EC, Oliveira ML de, Pitondo-Silva A, Oliveira MG, Medeiros M, Lincopan N, et al. Clonal complexes 104, 109 and 113 playing a major role in the dissemination of OXA-carbapenemase-producing Acinetobacter baumannii in Southeast Brazil. Infection, Genetics and Evolution. 2013 Oct;19:127–33.
Conference Papers:
Oliveira, M. L.; NARDOTTO, G. H. B.; PIPPA, L. F.; ROCHA, A.; SIMOES, B. P.; LANCHOTE, V. L. . Daunorubicin metabolism and urinary excretion in patients with acute myeloid leukemia. In: 84th Annual Meeting of the German Society for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology (DGPT) and the 20th Annual Meeting of the Association of the Clinical Pharmacology Germany (VKliPha), 2018, Göttingen. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg’s Arch Pharmacol, 2018. v. 391. p. S76-S76.
Oliveira, M. L.; NARDOTTO, G. H. B. ; ROCHA, A. ; SIMOES, B. P. ; LANCHOTE, V. L. . The low contribution of urinary excretion in the elimination of daunorubicin and its metabolite daunorubicinol in patients with acute myeloid leukemia. In: 49th Brazilian Congress of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics., 2017, Ribeirão Preto. Livro de Resumos, 2017. p. 64-64.
Oliveira, M. L.; PIPPA, L. F. ; ROCHA, A. ; SIMOES, B. P. ; LANCHOTE, V. L. . Quantification of daunorubicin and its metabolite daunorubicinol in human plasma by LC-MS/MS. In: I International Meeting of Environmental Health and Toxicology (IMEHTOX), 2016, Ribeirão Preto. Livro de Resumos, 2016.
Oliveira, M. L.; Clímaco, E.C. ; OLIVEIRA, M. G. ; Lincopan, N. ; Darini A.L.C. . PFGE typing of Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from different University Hospitals. In: V International Postgraduate and Research Symposium, 2012.
Clímaco, E.C. ; SILVA, A. P. ; Oliveira, M. L. ; OLIVEIRA, M. G. ; Lincopan, N. ; Darini A.L.C. Relação clonal entre linhagens de Acinetobacter baumannii produtoras de carbapenemases da família OXA em quatro hospitais no Brasil. In: XXI Latin American Congress of Microbiology, 2012, Santos. XXI Latin American Congress of Microbiology, 2012.
Oliveira, M. L.; Clímaco, E.C. ; OLIVEIRA, M. G. ; Darini A.L.C. . Dissemintion of OXA carbapenemases genes in carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in University Hospital of Juiz de Fora, MG. In: 8th CIFARP – International Congress of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2011, Ribeirão Preto.
Clímaco, E.C. ; Oliveira, M. L. ; OLIVEIRA, M. G. ; Darini A.L.C. . Avaliação do sequenciamento parcial do gene rpoB e de seus flanqueadores para identificação de espécies de Acinetobacter na rotina laroratorial. In: 2° International Symposium on Clinical Microbiology, 2010, Florianópolis.
You can view some of Dr Milena’s work below and links to her professional profile.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dra-milena-locci-de-oliveira-28986042/?locale=en_US
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Milena-Oliveira-6
Escavador: https://www.escavador.com/sobre/5394254/milena-locci-de-oliveira
Lattes: https://buscatextual.cnpq.br/buscatextual/busca.do
Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57199779361
Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=list_works&hl=pt-BR&user=1YUBDIQAAAAJ
Does Tylenol cause hallucinations?
No, Tylenol does not cause hallucinations per se, but it might cause this side effect when paired with another medication – mostly narcotic painkillers.
Tylenol contains Acetaminophen, a drug which does not alter your brain functions or make you see or hear things that aren’t really there (1). No such case has ever been reported on regular Tylenol tablets.
What does research suggest?
There is limited research on the psychological side effects of Tylenol and they are not frequently reported. Tylenol itself is considered the safest OTC painkiller which can be taken 3-4 times a day.
However, in a few cases in which Tylenol was paired with Codeine, hallucinations were observed. In some other cases in which Tylenol was combined with Methylphenidate, hallucinations were reported (2). So, hallucinations could be triggered while you use Tylenol, but it’s not likely the cause of it.
Another case study indicated the symptoms of psychosis and mania associated with the combined use of Tylenol with Codeine – which is a habit-forming, Opioid analgesic (3).
This indicates that Tylenol is not solely responsible for causing such side effects and the combined use of controlled substances is more likely to be the cause of it. However, in the last decade, Tylenol Extra Strength has been said to cause hallucinations and vivid scary dreams in some people.
The exact cause of it is not fully known, as Acetaminophen itself does not affect your psychological functions. Tylenol is available in different formulations with different concentrations of the active ingredient added to them.
For example, Tylenol Arthritis contains 650 mg of Acetaminophen and Tylenol Extra Strength contains 500mg of Acetaminophen.
If you’re on a combination of analgesics or taking a high dose of Acetaminophen and experience hallucinations, report this to your healthcare provider.
What side effects are common with Tylenol?
Tylenol is generally considered a well-tolerated medication and the majority of people who take this medication don’t report side effects. However, some of the listed side effects include:
- Nausea
- Upset stomach
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhoea
- Liver damage (at very high doses)
- Allergic reaction (very rare)
What to do if you are hallucinating while taking Tylenol?
If you are experiencing random hallucinations while taking Tylenol, please4 reach out to your healthcare provider. You might be taking any other medication that could be the actual cause of that.
Some antidepressants, like Wellbutrin, Zoloft, etc and antipsychotics can trigger hallucinations in some individuals. If you are not taking any other medication that could contribute to your hallucinations, your doctor may recommend some tests to check your brain functions and rule out any underlying psychological disorder.
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References
1.-
PubChem [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US), National Center for Biotechnology Information; 2004-. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 1983, Acetaminophen; [cited 2023 June 23]. Available from: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Acetaminophen
2.-
Hergüner S, Özayhan HY. Visual Hallucinations with Methylphenidate and Acetaminophen in Combination. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2015 Sep;25(7):598-9. doi: 10.1089/cap.2015.0057. Epub 2015 Jul 29. PMID: 26222326. Available from: Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26222326/
3.-
Malek-Ahmadi P, Ramsey ML. Acute psychosis associated with codeine and acetaminophen: a case report. Neurobehav Toxicol Teratol. 1985 Mar-Apr;7(2):193-4. PMID: 4000376. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4000376/
