Empathy-reducing painkillers like acetaminophen curbs our compassion significantly

Painkillers with side effects: Paracetamol apparently weakens our sympathy

Paracetamol is one of the most common painkillers in Germany. Health experts advise against resorting to the drug too often. After all, it can have unwanted side effects. Researchers from the US have discovered an effect on the preparation that can also affect human coexistence: Paracetamol lowers our sympathy.

Hitherto unknown side effect of paracetamol

Headache, toothache, fever: Paracetamol is one of the analgesics most commonly used in this country. The drug is available without a prescription at the pharmacy and does not cost much. For a long time the remedy was safe, but paracetamol is more dangerous than expected. Thus, it is known that the drug can increase the risk of stomach ulcers, high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke at too high doses. Only recently it was decided that the drug and other over-the-counter painkillers will only be sold with a warning. Researchers from the US report another adverse drug reaction: paracetamol weakens our compassion for others.

Taking the painkiller paracetamol may be associated with various unwanted side effects. Researchers have found that the drug also weakens our compassion. (Image: BestForYou / fotolia.com)

Less sensitive to pain from others

As reported by Jennifer Crocker and Baldwin M. Way of Ohio State University and Dominik Mischkowski of the US National Institute of Health in the journal "Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience," paracetamol makes people less sensitive to the pain that others feel.

As part of their study, psychologists administered a drink containing 1,000 milligrams of paracetamol to 40 out of 80 college students. A dose that is also available in Germany without a prescription.

The other half of the participants got a drink containing no active ingredient. None of the subjects knew to which group he belonged.

One hour after taking the study participants were asked to read eight short stories in which someone had a painful experience, such as a gash or the loss of a loved one.

Then they should indicate on a scale how great the pain felt in their history.

It was found that those who received acetaminophen rated the pain as less severe than those who did not take the remedy.

Noise under medication less bad

In a second trial, 114 additional students were divided into two groups, one of which received acetaminophen and the other a placebo. All subjects got a very loud noise.

The subsequent survey showed that the students rated the noise as less serious under the influence of the painkiller. They also believed that others would.

In another test, the researchers had the subjects watch a video game sequence in which a person was excluded from a team.

In this way, they examined whether the feeling of another person's socially painful experience suffered when the subjects had taken the painkiller. Even with this assumption, the researchers were right.

Mental side effects have received little attention so far

The psychological side effects of paracetamol have been little paid attention. It takes people the ability to empathize with others.

In a statement from Ohio State University, Way stated, "We do not know why acetaminophen has these effects, but it's worrying."

The fact that the drug not only relieves pain but also has an impact on the psyche was also shown by a study published in the journal "Psychological Science". The remedy thus dampens emotional reactions.

Also interesting is what researchers at the University of California reported a few months ago: painkillers such as acetaminophen are synonymous with lovesickness act. However, they advised against resorting to such drugs in mental suffering. (Ad)