Acetaminophen Makes You Less Emotional, New Study Reveals

The most common over-over-the-counter painkiller you have at home does more than just easing your pain. New research reveals that acetaminophen, popularly marketed as Tylenol, can also cause you to feel apathetic.

The new published study found in the journal Psychological Science shows that the popular drug can dull a person's feelings - both positive and negative. This may have a connection with the travel path of pain, where pain from injury travels through various nerve signals affecting chemicals responsible for an emotional response.

“This means that using Tylenol or similar products might have broader consequences than previously thought,” said the study’s lead author, Geoffrey Durso. According to him, acetaminophen may now be used as an “all-purpose emotion reliever.”

The small study performed by Ohio State University researchers had 82 participants take 1,000 milligrammes acetaminophen before looking at pleasant and disturbing pictures. Compared to the placebo, those who have taken acetaminophen reported to have not exhibited strong emotions for the different sets of photographs.

According to medical contributor Dr. Holly Phillips in an interview with CBS, the research is still in its preliminary stages, but it is something that should be given attention to since acetaminophen is widely used in the household. About one of five people use the drug at least once every week.

Compared to other OTC painkillers such as ibuprofen and aspirin, acetaminophen belongs to the class of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or NSAID. Drugs in this category only targets pain receptors instead of inflammation. Phillips also said that the results may be a red flag for people who take it on a daily basis. “You don’t want to blunt feelings of happiness,” she said.

Phillips also added that taking acetaminophen can lead to the development of long-term health effects such as liver problems. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends a maximum acetaminophen daily dose of 3,000 milligrammes.

Researchers are not sure if other over-the-counter painkillers can elicit the same effect, but there is a plan to make a future study, according to Durso. The study suggests that there are other biochemical factors that can influence a person’s response to different things. This means that painful and pleasurable emotions are more connected than you might think.

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