The best way to alternate Tylenol and ibuprofen (Advil) is to take them 2 to 4 hours apart. For example, if you get up at 6.00am, you can take a dose of ibuprofen, then at 8.00am, you can take a dose of Tylenol. You can continue this regimen throughout the day, making sure you don’t exceed the recommended maximum dose for each drug. An alternating dosing schedule of 3 hours for an adult may look like this:
This dosing schedule does not exceed the recommended maximum dose of 3000 mg/day for acetaminophen and 1200mg/day for over-the-counter ibuprofen.
An alternating dosing schedule of 4 hours for an adult may look like this:
The dosing schedule of every 4 hours allows for a middle-of-the-night dose for those who need round-the-clock pain relief.
This dosing schedule does not exceed the recommended maximum dose of 3000 mg/day for acetaminophen and 1200mg/day for over-the-counter ibuprofen.
Many prescription pain pills (such as Norco, Percocet, or Tylenol with Codeine) already contain acetaminophen. Do not take Tylenol with them unless we tell you. Do not drink alcohol while taking pain medicine. If you have liver or kidney disease, stomach ulcers, take a blood thinner, or are pregnant, ask us before taking ibuprofen or Tylenol.