What’s the Difference Between Tylenol and Advil Dual Action?
When you’re struggling with pain, you may reach for an over-the-counter pain reliever. However, with so many options on the market, choosing one can feel overwhelming.1 Most pain relief products fall into two categories: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and acetaminophen.1 Ibuprofen, the active ingredient in Advil products, is an NSAID, and acetaminophen is the active ingredient in Tylenol.1 While both treat pain, ibuprofen treats pain at the source of inflammation with a well-defined mechanism of action, while acetaminophen is thought to work on your central nervous system, but its mechanism of action is less understood.1 Learn more about the differences between Advil (ibuprofen) and Tylenol (acetaminophen) from our experts.
Advil (Ibuprofen) vs. Tylenol (Acetaminophen)
Oral analgesics work differently throughout your body. The pain reliever in all oral Advil products is ibuprofen which targets pain at the source. Acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, blocks off pain signals.1 Advil Dual Action is an FDA approved combination of the two.
Advil Dual Action
Advil Dual Action with Acetaminophen is the first FDA approved pain relief medication that combines both Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen. Unlike Acetaminophen only products, this combination formula of Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen allows you to take a lower maximum daily dose of each medication and now get up to 8-hours of powerful relief. Clinical studies show that the combination of these ingredients is stronger and lasts longer than ibuprofen and acetaminophen alone and has an easy-to-manage three times a day scheduled dosing.2 Explore our chart below to compare Advil Dual Action vs. Tylenol, so you can understand if Advil or Tylenol is the right solution for you and your pain needs. Speak with a healthcare professional if you have any questions about the right pain solution for you and please read all Drug Fact labels carefully before use.
Advil Dual Action vs. Tylenol Extra Strength
| Advil Dual Action | Tylenol Extra Strength | |
|---|---|---|
| Active Ingredient | Acetaminophen + Ibuprofen | Acetaminophen |
| Dosing | One dose of 2 caplets (contains 500mg Acetaminophen and 250mg Ibuprofen) every 8 hours while symptoms last; do not take more than 6 caplets in 24 hours | One dose of 2 caplets (contains 1000mg Acetaminophen) every 6hrs while symptoms last; do not take more than 6 pills in 24 hours1 |
| Amount of Acetaminophen in Maximum Daily Allowance | 1500mg | 3000mg2 |
| Dose Duration | every 8 hours | every 6 hours |
| Lower Maximum Daily Doses of each medicine combined for strong pain relief | + | |
| Contains medicine (Ibuprofen) that Doctors use most for their own Aches and Pains3 | + | |
| Contains an NSAID | + | |
| Relieves Minor Back Pain/Backache | + | + |
| Relieves Minor Headache | + | + |
| Relieves Minor Muscle Pain/Muscle Aches | + | + |
| Relieves Minor Menstrual Cramps | + | + |
| Relieves Minor Toothache | + | + |
| Relieves Minor Arthritis Pain/Joint Pain | + | + |
| Provides Fast Pain Relief | + | + |
| Targets Pain at the Source | + | |
| Works Centrally to Relieve Your Pain | + | + |
- Unless directed by a doctor
- Based on FDA labeling of Tylenol Extra Strength
- IQVIA ProVoice Survey fielded from Nov. 1, 2020 to Nov. 30, 2020
Choose from the list of Advil products below to get more information
Source Citations:
- NSAIDs vs. Acetaminophen: Which Over-the-Counter Medicine Should I Use? News. Yale Medicine. https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/acetaminophen-nsaids-over-the-counter-pain-relievers. Accessed 9/20/24.
- Efficacy and safety of single and multiple doses of a fixed-dose combination of ibuprofen and acetaminophen in the treatment of postsurgical dental pain: results from 2 phase 3 randomized, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies. National Library of Medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32271183/. Accessed 10/14/2024.
