Summary: Tylenol or acetaminophen is an over-the-counter painkiller among the most popular painkillers in the US and globally. It is popular due to its excellent safety profile. It rarely causes severe side effects. However, new studies show that this drug has some difficult-to-recognize psychological effects. It seems to increase risk-taking behavior.
Tylenol/ paracetamol/ acetaminophen is the most popular painkiller globally. It is available as an over-the-counter remedy, which means that no prescription is needed for taking this drug. It is also present in hundreds of other remedies, such as those for treating colds and flu.
However, a new study shows that this drug can alter brain function. It may change thinking patterns, influence brain health, and promote risk-taking behavior.
Acetaminophen is so popular for a reason. It is still among the safest of all painkillers. Side effects with it are rare, and life-threatening adverse effects are extremely rare with it. It is widely accepted by the medical community as one of the safest painkillers.
But is this commonly used painkiller really that safe?
Traditionally, researchers have mostly focused on the harms of drugs on internal organs like the liver and kidney or even the gut. Acetaminophen does not cause sedation and does not appear to alter brain function. It is also safe for other organs. It may harm the liver, but only when used excessively. Overall, it is recognized as one of the safest painkillers ever created. This explains its widespread availability without prescriptions.
However, researchers now think some of its side effects might not have been fully identified. These side effects are mild and occur gradually. Moreover, these side effects are more challenging to realize, like it increases risk-taking behavior.
Acetaminophen And Risk-Taking Behavior
This new study was published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. It explored more subtle but graver effects of this commonly used painkiller on the brain.
This new study suggests that acetaminophen may not only help overcome pain but also influence various psychological processes. It may make people less receptive to hurt feelings, reduce empathy, and even blunt certain cognitive functions. It may even lower people’s ability to perceive risk.
For the study, researchers conducted a series of experiments among university students. Overall, they did three studies with about 500 participants. In this series of studies, they measured how a randomly given dosage of 1000 mg of acetaminophen could influence behavior. They compared these changes with those of the placebo group.
This means that students were unaware of when they were given acetaminophen and the placebo. Next, they played a risk-taking game in a series of experiments that used a computer program. In the game, they were required to pump the balloon as much as possible but make sure not to pop the balloon. Inflating balloons more and more meant a greater amount of imaginary money or points. However, they would lose all the money/points if the balloon burst.
The researchers found that those who took acetaminophen had lesser anxiety and negative emotions. Thus, they were more likely to take risks.
Apart from the above game, they also participated in surveys regarding risk-taking behavior. They answered various questions regarding risk-taking, such as jumping from a tall bridge or driving cars without seatbelts.
Of course, researchers agree that these studies might not fully represent real-life scenarios. Nonetheless, they showed that acetaminophen can influence psychological processes.
So, what does it mean for those living with pain or those who use Tylenol/acetaminophen?
This study suggests that though it is one of the safest painkillers, it may have some side effects not mentioned on the drug label. It may influence human psychology. This does not mean that one should not use the drug when experiencing pain and fever.
However, it shows that one should not overuse any drug. Not all harms of the drugs are known to science, and some are very subtle and difficult to identify. Moreover, these studies were short-term, and it is not known how severely this drug can alter human psychology or brain health on consistent use or in the long run.
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Source:
Keaveney, A., Peters, E., & Way, B. (2020). Effects of acetaminophen on risk taking. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 15(7), 725–732. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsaa108
