acetaminophen, caffeine, and magnesium salicylate

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Pronunciation: ah seet oh MIN oh fen, KAF een, mag NEEZ ee um sa LIS il ate

Brand: KneeRelief

What is the most important information I should know about this medicine?

Do not give this medication to a child or teenager with a fever, flu symptoms, or chicken pox. Salicylates can cause Reye's syndrome, a serious and sometimes fatal condition in children.

Do not take more of this medication than is recommended. An overdose of acetaminophen can damage your liver or cause death. Call your doctor at once if you have nausea, pain in your upper stomach, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, or jaundice (yellowing of your skin or eyes).

In rare cases, acetaminophen may cause a severe skin reaction. Stop taking this medicine and call your doctor right away if you have skin redness or a rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling.

What is acetaminophen, caffeine, and magnesium salicylate?

Acetaminophen is a pain reliever and a fever reducer.

Caffeine is used in this product to increase the pain relieving effects of acetaminophen.

Magnesium salicylate is used to reduce pain, inflammation, and fever.

Acetaminophen, caffeine, and magnesium salicylate is a combination medicine used to treat pain and swelling from conditions such as muscle aches, arthritis, and joint soreness.

Acetaminophen, caffeine, and magnesium salicylate may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking this medicine?

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to acetaminophen, caffeine, or magnesium salicylate.

Do not give this medication to a child or teenager with a fever, flu symptoms, or chicken pox. Salicylates can cause Reye's syndrome, a serious and sometimes fatal condition in children.

To make sure this medicine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

  • liver disease, cirrhosis, a history of alcoholism, or if you drink more than 3 alcoholic beverages per day;
  • kidney disease;
  • a stomach ulcer or bleeding; or
  • an intestinal disorder such as ulcerative colitis.

It is not known whether acetaminophen, caffeine, and magnesium salicylate will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medicine.

This medicine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take this medicine?

Use this medication exactly as directed on the label, or as it has been prescribed by your doctor. Do not take more of this medication than is recommended. An overdose of acetaminophen can damage your liver or cause death.

Stop taking this medication and call your doctor if you have a fever lasting longer than 3 days, or pain lasting longer than 10 days.

Acetaminophen can cause unusual results with certain lab tests for glucose (sugar) in the urine. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using acetaminophen, caffeine, and magnesium salicylate.

If you need surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are using this medicine. You may need to stop using the medicine for a short time.

Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Since this medicine is used when needed, you may not be on a dosing schedule. If you are on a schedule, use the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. An overdose of acetaminophen can damage your liver or cause death.

The first signs of an acetaminophen overdose include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, sweating, and confusion or weakness. Later symptoms may include pain in your upper stomach, dark urine, and yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes.

Overdose symptoms also may include ringing in your ears, confusion, agitation, hallucinations, or seizure (convulsions).

What should I avoid while taking this medicine?

Avoid drinking alcohol. It may increase your risk of liver damage while taking acetaminophen.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any other pain, cold, allergy, or sleep medication. Acetaminophen (sometimes abbreviated as APAP) is contained in many combination medicines. Taking certain products together can cause you to get too much acetaminophen which can lead to a fatal overdose. Check the label to see if a medicine contains acetaminophen or APAP.

Many medicines available over the counter also contain caffeine, salicylates, or similar medicines (such as aspirin, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, or naproxen). Ask your doctor before taking any other medication for pain, arthritis, fever, or swelling.

What are the possible side effects of this medicine?

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

In rare cases, acetaminophen may cause a severe skin reaction that can be fatal. This could occur even if you have taken acetaminophen in the past and had no reaction. Stop taking this medicine and call your doctor right away if you have skin redness or a rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling. If you have this type of reaction, you should never again take any medicine that contains acetaminophen.

Stop using this medicine and call your doctor at once if you have:

  • bloody or tarry stools, coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds;
  • easy bruising or bleeding; or
  • swelling, rapid weight gain, little or no urinating.

Common side effects may include:

  • upset stomach;
  • trouble sleeping (insomnia); or
  • feeling anxious or restless.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect this medicine?

Ask a doctor or pharmacist if it is safe for you to use acetaminophen, caffeine, and magnesium salicylate if you are also using any of the following drugs:

  • methotrexate;
  • medication used to prevent blood clots, such as fondaparinux; or
  • aspirin or other NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), ketorolac, and others.

This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with acetaminophen, caffeine, and magnesium salicylate, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about acetaminophen, caffeine, and magnesium salicylate.


Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

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