Compare Alka-Seltzer Plus Night Severe Cold And Flu vs. Tylenol PM
Head-to-head comparisons of medication uses, side effects, ratings, and more.
Relieves cold and flu symptoms, and helps you sleep.
Alka-Seltzer Plus Night Severe Cold And Flu (Acetaminophen / Doxylamine / Dextromethorphan / Phenylephrine) is good for multiple cold symptoms at night, but it's more medicine than you need if you only have one symptom.
Relieves pain and helps you sleep.
Tylenol Pm (Acetaminophen / Diphenhydramine) works well at relieving pain and also helps you sleep.
Upsides
- Alka-Seltzer Plus Night Severe Cold And Flu (Acetaminophen / Doxylamine / Dextromethorphan / Phenylephrine) is a combination medicine that relieves multiple cold symptoms. It's good to use if you have a stuffy nose, a cough, fever, and pain.
- The decongestant (phenylephrine) has fewer side effects than other decongestants. It doesn't raise your blood pressure and heart rate as much, or cause as much trouble falling asleep.
- The cough medicine (dextromethorphan) works well and has very few side effects.
- The pain reliever (acetaminophen) is easier on your stomach and has fewer drug interactions than other pain medications like aspirin or ibuprofen.
- The antihistamine (doxylamine) can help you sleep.
- Tylenol Pm (Acetaminophen / Diphenhydramine) works well when you have a cold or the flu, but can also be used for backaches, minor arthritis, and joint pain.
- Can be used for anyone 12 years or older.
- Isn't habit-forming like some other pain medicines and sleep aids.
Downsides
- If you don't really need all of the medications in this combination, you're taking extra medicine and might have extra side effects for no reason.
- Phenylephrine doesn't last as long as other decongestants like pseudoephedrine.
- You shouldn't use it if you have high blood pressure.
- To avoid hurting your liver, you have to keep track of the total amount of acetaminophen (APAP) you're taking since it's a very common ingredient in pain and cold/flu combination medicines.
- The antihistamine (diphenhydramine) can make you feel groggy the next morning.
- Can increase the risk of falls, so elderly people shouldn't use it.
- To avoid hurting your liver, you have to keep track of the total amount of acetaminophen (APAP) you're taking since it's a very common ingredient in pain and cold/flu combination medicines.
- Can only take one dose in 24 hours.
Used for
Dosage forms
- Powder
- Pill
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Side effects
The Alka-Seltzer Plus Night Severe Cold And Flu (Acetaminophen / Doxylamine / Dextromethorphan / Phenylephrine) FDA package insert doesn’t have numbers about how common side effects are.
The Tylenol Pm (Acetaminophen / Diphenhydramine) FDA package insert doesn’t have numbers about how common side effects are.
Risks and risk factors
- Liver damage
- Drinking more than 2 alcoholic beverages a day
- Taking with other Tylenol-containing medicines
- History of liver disease
- High blood pressure
- History of high blood pressure
- Taking MAO inhibitors
- Chronic cough from an infection
- History of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- History of smoking
- Driving impairment
- Taking with alcohol
- Taking with other medicines that make you less alert
- Antihistamine side effects
- Age 65 years or older
- Glaucoma
- Benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH)
- Serotonin syndrome
- Using other medications that affect serotonin
- Increased falls
- History of falls
- Age 65 or older
- Taking other drugs that make you drowsy or dizzy
- Liver damage
- Drinking more than 3 alcoholic beverages a day
- Taking with other Tylenol-containing medicines
- History of liver disease
- Antihistamine side effects
- Age 65 years or older
- Glaucoma
- Benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH)