IT turns out many ordinary medications don’t just affect our bodies – they affect our brains.
Some have been linked to road rage, compulsive gambling, and even unusual sexual impulses.
In the UK, two hundred million packets are bought over the counter each year[/caption]
And now, a US study has found that paracetamol may do a lot more than simply take the edge off your headache.
The drug, also called acetaminophen, is a workhorse painkiller, mainly because it’s viewed as cheap, safe and effective.
But scientists from Ohio State University found the drug may induce risky behaviour.
“Acetaminophen seems to make people feel less negative emotion when they consider risky activities, they just don’t feel as scared,” explained neuroscientist Prof Baldwin Way from Ohio State University when the findings were published, in 2020.
“With nearly 25 per cent of the population in the US taking acetaminophen each week, reduced risk perceptions and increased risk-taking could have important effects on society.”
Meanwhile, in the UK, two hundred million packets are bought over the counter each year.
That’s perhaps no surprise, given packs of 16 can cost as little as 49p at some pharmacies.
According to the NHS, paracetamol “rarely causes side effects” and is safe to take regularly “for many years”.
In England alone last year, GPs made out 14.8 million prescriptions for paracetamol, according to official NHS statistics.
The findings add to a growing body of research suggesting that acetaminophen’s effects on pain reduction extend to psychological processes.
Previous studies have found it can lower people’s sensitivity to hurt feelings, reduce empathy, and even make it hard for the brain to recognise mistakes.
The new research, published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, suggests that taking acetaminophen may alter or impair people’s ability to perceive and evaluate risks.
In a series of experiments with over 500 university students the team tested how a single 1,000mg dose of acetaminophen (the recommended maximum for adults in the US) affected risk-taking behaviour.
They compared it to a placebo group that received a fake pill.
Participants were asked to pump an inflatable balloon on a computer screen, earning imaginary money for each pump, but risking losing it all if the balloon popped.
The results revealed that students who took acetaminophen were more likely to take risks during the exercise, pumping (and bursting) their balloons more than the placebo group, who were much more cautious.
“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,” Baldwin said.
“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.”
‘Acetaminophen may reduce anxiety’
Participants also completed surveys in two experiments, rating the perceived risk of various scenarios, like betting a day’s wages, bungee jumping, or driving without a seatbelt.
In one survey, acetaminophen seemed to reduce perceived risk compared to the placebo group, though this effect wasn’t seen in another similar survey.
While these experiments may not reflect real-life situations, the team found a significant link between taking acetaminophen and increased risk-taking, even if the effect was subtle.
The researchers also considered that acetaminophen’s impact might come from reduced anxiety.
“It may be that as the balloon increases in size, those on placebo feel increasing amounts of anxiety about a potential burst,” they explained.
“When the anxiety becomes too much, they end the trial.
“Acetaminophen may reduce this anxiety, thus leading to greater risk- taking.”
The team said that future research should explore other psychological factors and the biological mechanisms behind acetaminophen’s effects on decision-making.
Can you take ibuprofen and paracetamol together?
If paracetamol is Britain’s first port of call, ibuprofen is a close second.
Ibuprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, works in a slightly different way to paracetamol and helps to reduce inflammation.
According to the NHS, it can be taken together with paracetamol.
The NHS says: “It’s safe to take paracetamol with other types of painkiller that do not contain paracetamol, such as ibuprofen, aspirin or codeine.”
However, you should not take paracetamol alongside any other medication that contains paracetamol
