Is it safe to take Tylenol PM every night?
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
Is it safe to take Tylenol PM every night?
No, you shouldn’t take Tylenol PM every night and make it a habit. Tylenol PM is an over-the-counter medication that contains two active ingredients – Acetaminophen and Diphenhydramine.
This is more like a ‘take when needed’ medication and works well if you wish to reduce your pain and sleep well at night. Taking it every day as a sleep aid is not a good idea and I don’t really recommend doing that.
These OTC meds are good for short-term use and they don’t really cause many side effects – which is why they are available OTC. However, long-term use of these meds can cause some side effects, especially sleep aids like Diphenhydramine.
It is also important to note that some people may pair Tylenol PM with medications like Benadryl, NyQuil, or DayQuil which is not appropriate. Some of these medications contain similar ingredients, which can significantly increase the risk of side effects.
What are the long-term side effects of Tylenol PM?
As I stated in the previous section, short-term use with Tylenol PM is safe. You can take it as needed. However, if you make a habit of taking this medication at bedtime, it can affect you in a number of ways.
Let’s break this medication down into its active ingredients and discuss the possible long-term side effects.
Long-term effects of Acetaminophen
Acetaminophen is considered the safest painkiller out there. However, if you unnecessarily continue to take this medication every single night, you can end up damaging your liver.
Acetaminophen is hepatotoxic – which means a medication that can damage your liver (1). The normal standard doses are usually not high enough to cause hepatic side effects and Acetaminophen has a wide safety window.
However, continuous administration of a medicine your body doesn’t need can put an extra unnecessary load on your liver, which can damage this vital organ in the long run.
Long-term effects of Diphenhydramine
Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine medication that can help induce sleep, which is why it is used as an OTC sleep aid. I’m sure Diphenhydramine is the real attraction here to take Tylenol PM every night.
Although Diphenhydramine has a good safety profile, continuous use of this medication can affect your psychological functions in a number of ways. It can also induce dementia when used excessively for a long period of time (2).
Diphenhydramine basically slows your brain down and relaxes your muscles to prepare your body for sleep. If you keep taking this medication, it can cause problems with your memory, learning, cognition, and muscle contraction.
Make sure you don’t overuse any medication to the point it starts damaging your health. You can take Tylenol PM when you’re sick or feeling generally unwell, but try not to make a habit out of it.
It is also not a good thing to rely on sleep aids to have sound sleep. It strips your body of its natural ability to induce relaxation and sleep and you’ll find yourself at the mercy of meds forever.
Final words
Although Tylenol is considered the safest pain killer, chronic use of this medication can cause some long-term side effects, especially liver damage.
It is best to limit the intake of Tylenol, if your pain doesn’t go away and you continuously feel the need to take a painkiller, reach out to your healthcare provider.
Diphenhydramine, on the other hand, also has side effects of its own and it can damage your brain if taken excessively for a long period of time. So, make sure you only use this medication as needed, and don’t make it a habit for sleep aid.
Was this helpful?
References
1.-
Barker JD Jr, de Carle DJ, Anuras S. Chronic excessive acetaminophen use and liver damage. Ann Intern Med. 1977 Sep;87(3):299-301. doi 10.7326/0003-4819-87-3-299. PMID: 900673. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/900673/
2.-
Wong HCG. Long-term use of diphenhydramine. CMAJ. 2015 Oct 6;187(14):1078. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.1150066. PMID: 26438591; PMCID: PMC4592307. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4592307/
