Taking Acetaminophen regularly. Any advice?

Acetaminophen is the same as paracetamol (different chemical names in different countries). Tylenol is a US brand name for both. Tylenol Regular has 325mg Acetaminophen, Tylenol Extra Strength has 500mg Acetaminophen. It is a relatively mild, non-opioid pain killer, with a maximum recommended dosage per day of 4000 mg. Higher dosages can be quite dangerous. It seems to be better for some types of pain than others – good for wounds, not good for back pain, is what I have read (and experienced). It is packaged in different ways, usually more expensive – eg 800mg slow release ‘for arthritis’.

Ibuprofen is the same as Nurofen. It is a muscle relaxant with a different mode of pain killer than Acetaminophen. My doctor says that for 10% of people it irritates the stomach and intestine lining to some extent, and for half of those (ie 5% including me) it is a serious and dangerous irritation. After 3 days I am in real pain (including suppository based, which a locum doctor recommended and then my regular doctor had trouble keeping his temper). But it works well for most people, and would be my medication of choice for my back pain if I could tolerate it.

For most serious continuous pain (eg cancer pain), the medical recommendation is to keep a base level of medication in the system, so that when peaks come you need less extra to ‘scale the peak’. With nothing in the system, it can be hard to hit it effectively. For episodic pain, it can reduce the amount helpfully if you only take it when needed.

For greater pain, opioids are much much more effective than Acetaminophen. Codeine (NOT cocaine) is the mildest opioid with the least ‘drug high’ and the least addiction issues, developed for that purpose over 100 years ago. Codeine related deaths from overdoses are nearly always because it has been combined with Acetaminophen and it is the latter which is the overdose. It is now often difficult to obtain because other stronger opioids (Fentanyl and Oxycontin) have been badly misused and all opioids are now ‘on the nose’. I take codeine most days, usually non up to max 120mg. It can cause constipation in some people (not me).

I know this stuff really well, and I hope this helps. You can check it on the Web, but it’s difficult in the US because things are usually marketed by brand-name with advertisements that aren’t always realistic. Good luck!

Since she's averse to medication you might want to explore alternatives like topical analgesics, hot and cold compresses or massage. WebMD has a good outline
https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/pain-management-alternative-therapy

Acetaminophen can cause liver failure if too much is taken. Worse on the liver than the kidneys. I am on dialysis and can take Tylenol, but not ibuprofen. I rarely take anything unless I'm in the hospital and they give me something aftr surgery.

I just read up on ibuprofen and feel they are safer than Tylenol, They do effect the lining of the stomach. Not drinking alcohol with it is recommended, so no wine. I find that Advil works better for me than Tylenol. And it is better to keep pain killers in your system and not wait till the pain shows up. But for me, I don't take anything for any length of time. I sometimes will pop a couple of Advil if my legs and back are bothering me so I can get to sleep. Mostly, i just try to get thru any pain I get in my lower back. But its never excruciating.
I and my husband have high thresholds of pain. Maybe your Mom doesn't.

Thanks all She has been to a pain doctor and had those shots for a while but they quit helping. Her pain doctor said dont take ibuprofen, that is bad, but she can take the Tylenol regularly But as Barb said, she is mentally ill and wont listen to even a doctor.

The pain doctor said she COULD take an ibuprofen now and then when pain was particularly bad but not regularly.

(she does not drink alcohol, her friends and relatives have told her she probably should have a glass or two of wine each evening just to calm her anxiety :) )

I am sure you have all heard my tales of woe about her anxiety/etc . I think while her peers who tell her you have to live with pain at her age, she doesnt get that

Unfortunately all pain meds have side effects. While tylenols are hard on the liver (esp if there is any alcohol intake, the NSAIDS of which motrin is one are terribly destructive in so far as a tendency to thin the blood, but more so to the gut as it inhibits d-oxygenase, and enzyme needed to protect all mucous membranes lining gut, bladder and etc. Can be terribly destructive. There is really not much to help us as we age; many of us get used to living with the pain. At 80 I find I am about as well off with nothing as I am with "something". You may, if this goes on, need a pain consult with a doctor specializing in pain control. Best of luck out to you.

My mom took Tylenol arthritis every eight hours for the final years of her life, and when it seemed as though that wasn't enough she was allowed ibuprofen in between. She lived to be 99 so I doubt it shortened her life, and by that point attempting to keep her comfortable was our goal.

Using acetaminophen regularly can lead to kidney disease and bleeding in the digestive tract. It has also been linked to increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and high blood pressure, so I'm not sure it's worth the risk.
But with your mom being 92, and on the down side of life anyway, perhaps the pros outweigh the cons in her case.
I'm like your mom, I hate taking any medications, and I have pain everyday and take nothing(I'm just 63 though). Instead I have learned to just keep on keeping on. I've never had luck with Tylenol or ibuprofen helping with any pain I've had, and wouldn't waste my time taking it, but I guess at your moms age if she's getting some relief from it, the pros may just outweigh the cons.
Let her decide what she wants to do.

Karsten, with meds for pain (and anxiety, come to think of it) there is benefit in "getting ahead of the pain". You need a lower dose overall to keep pain at bay, rather than reacting to it.

BUT your mom is mentally ill and certainly will not listen to you or her doctors.

Accept that, and don't react to her complaints. It's sad. But it's her (bad) choice.