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Advil, Tylenol, or Motrin: Which is the best pain reliever for you?

advil liquid-gels, advil dual action, and advil migraine boxes

When you’re not feeling well, some of your symptoms may be pain-related, such as backaches, headaches and muscle aches. There are plenty of products on the market and in your local stores that may claim to help relieve your pain, but some do a better job than others.1 The medicine in Advil is what doctors use most for their own aches and pains.

Learn how Advil products compare to other over-the-counter medications and products that claim to target the same symptoms. Use the comparison tool below to compare different Advil products to other pain relief brands to find out how Advil can relieve your pain.

Dosage
Dosage based on weight*
Dosage based on age
Can be taken by children younger than 12 years old? 
Can be taken by children younger than 2 years old or under 24 pounds?  
Helps back pain? 
Reduces fever? 
Relieves toothache pain?
Relieves pain from common cold symptoms?
Relieves pain from flu symptoms?
Contains a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)? 
Relieves migraine pain? 
Targets pain at the source of inflammation? 
Available in minis?
Starts working in 16 minutes? 
May decrease the benefit of Aspirin Heart Therapy 
First FDA- approved ibuprofen/acetaminophen combination 
Performed clinical studies on this combination? 
Comes in a sugar-free version? 
Gastrointestinal warning
Cardiovascular warning
Liver warning
Allergy warning

How Advil Beats Other Pain Relief Brands

Advil products are fast-acting and come in a variety of forms to provide easy digestion for you and your children. These products contain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that help relieve your pain, reduce pain at the source of inflammation, and temporarily reduce fever.14 Instead of combining different medications and OTC products, find one that works to relieve your symptoms. Use the relief finder tool to find the Advil product that targets your specific symptoms if you’re not sure which product is for you.

Source Citations:

1. Advil Dual Action. Advil. https://www.advil.com/our-products/advil-pain/advil-dual-action/. Accessed 04/12/2023.

2. Patient Resources: Advil Dual Action. Haleon Health Partner. https://www.haleonhealthpartner.com/en-us/patient-care-resources/patient-education-advil-faqs/. Accessed 03/28/2023.

3. Motrin Dual Action with Tylenol – acetaminophen and ibuprofen tablet, film coated. DailyMed. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/lookup.cfm?setid=f2ee9cf5-02b7-6612-e053-2995a90a90c4&version=1. Accessed 03/28/2023.

4. Advil Liqui-Gels. Haleon Health Partner. https://www.haleonhealthpartner.com/en-ca/pain-relief/brands/advil/products/liqui-gels/. Accessed 04/12/2023.

5. Advil Liqui-Gels. Advil. https://www.advil.com/content/dam/cf-consumer-healthcare/bp-advil-v2/en_US/pdf/LBL-00000029%20WEB%20READY%20ADVIL%20LIQUI-GELS%20(Version%2042).PDF. Accessed 04/12/2023.

6. Tylenol Extra Strength – acetaminophen tablet, coated. DailyMed. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=1b164780-ec84-4187-8afa-6f8a0da550fc. Accessed 04/12/2023.

7. Children’s Advil. Haleon Health Partner. https://www.haleonhealthpartner.com/en-us/pain-relief/brands/advil/products/childrens-advil/. Accessed 04/12/2023.

8. Children’s Advil Suspension Sugar Free Berry. Advil. https://www.advil.com/our-products/childrens-advil/childrens-advil-suspension-sugar-free-dye-free-berry/. ccessed 03/28/2023.

9. Children’s Tylenol – acetaminophen suspension. DailyMed. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=333f6231-3778-4c1f-9558-2afddca22c86. Accessed 04/12/2023.

10. Children’s Tylenol – acetaminophen tablet, chewable. DailyMed. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=9782fe86-d72a-4231-b1ba-d3f3b4ee49e3. Accessed 03/28/2023.

11. Children’s Tylenol – acetaminophen powder. DailyMed. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=79669930-f744-4bb1-8325-b75951489b64. Accessed 03/28/2023.

12. Advil Tablets. Haleon Health Partner. https://www.haleonhealthpartner.com/en-us/pain-relief/brands/advil/products/advil-tablets/. Accessed 03/28/2023.

13. Tylenol Extra Strength – acetaminophen tablet, film coated. DailyMed. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=59773893-09a8-47a2-943a-e9ea9da4458a. Accessed 04/12/2023.

14. NSAIDs. United Kingdom National Health Service. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/nsaids/. Accessed 03/28/2023.