World's most common painkiller may cause 'risky behaviour' warns expert
The pain-relieving drug Acetaminophen, better known as paracetamol, is available worldwide in numerous forms under brand names such as Tylenol and Panadol.
It functions by blocking chemical signals in the brain that alert you to bodily pain but while doing this, it may be working excessively to accomplish much more.
Studies from 2020 monitored behavioural changes following people's use of the medication uncovered the side effects it has on your mind.
A crucial discovery was the drug's capacity to heighten the brain's tendency towards risk-taking behaviour, reports the Mirror US.
Neuroscientist Baldwin Way from The Ohio State University said: "Acetaminophen seems to make people feel less negative emotion when they consider risky activities-they just don't feel as scared.
"With nearly 25 percent of the population in the US taking acetaminophen each week, reduced risk perceptions and increased risk-taking could have important effects on society." Research is being carried out into the effects of paracetamol (Image: Getty Images)
These discoveries, when combined with existing studies about acetaminophen's impact on pain relief and its connection to various other mental processes, might sound some warning signals.
It's been previously demonstrated to diminish people's sensitivity to causing others emotional harm, indicating decreased compassion, and influence the dulling of additional mental abilities. Baldwin Way spearheaded a series of trials as part of his study, involving over 500 university students as participants.
Alongside his research team, he examined how a single adult recommended dose of paracetamol randomly distributed to volunteers influenced factors like their risk-taking behaviour, compared to placebos administered to a separate control group.
Both trials required participants to inflate a balloon on a computer screen, which appears fairly straightforward on the face of it. Each pump netted them some virtual cash with the goal of maximising their earnings.
They needed to continue inflating whilst ensuring they didn't burst the balloon and forfeit all their winnings.
Remarkably, the students who had consumed a dose of paracetamol were displaying considerably more risk-taking behaviour during the task.
Those given the dummy medication were comparatively more careful and cautious, and consequently, the initial group also popped significantly more of their balloons.
Way elaborated: "If you're risk-averse, you may pump a few times and then decide to cash out because you don't want the balloon to burst and lose your money.
"But for those who are on acetaminophen, as the balloon gets bigger, we believe they have less anxiety and less negative emotion about how big the balloon is getting and the possibility of it bursting."
However, it's worth mentioning that the researchers also contemplated that the drug's apparent influence on risk-taking behaviour could be interpreted differently. In other words, the psychological process might help to alleviate anxiety and thus instil more confidence in decision-making.
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