Researchers Painkillers Paracetamol lowers our sympathy

Researchers conclude: Paracetamol makes people insensitive
Hardly any other drug is found in German households as often as paracetamol. In the past, the drug has often come under criticism for unwanted side effects. Researchers have now discovered another - previously unknown - effect: paracetamol weakens 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. Again and again, research results indicate health-threatening consequences of the drug. It has long been known that the drug can increase the risk of stomach ulcers, high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke at too high doses. A few years ago the paracetamol package size had been limited as overdosing may lead to liver failure. In addition, the drug can be dangerous to the unborn child, as studies showed. Researchers from the US have now observed another undesirable side effect of the drug: paracetamol weakens our compassion for others.

Hardly any analgesic is used as often in Germany as paracetamol. Researchers have now seen a previously unknown side effect: the drug weakens our compassion. (Image: sudok1 / 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, as the "world" reports online. 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, another 114 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's ability to empathize with others." In a Ohio State University announcement, Way said, "We do not know why paracetamol has these effects, but it's worrying." That the drug not only relieves pain but also effects on the psyche, as shown by a study published last year in the journal "Psychological Science". The remedy thus dampens emotional reactions. (Ad)