Acetaminophen Affects Emotions According to Study; Can Reduce Feelings of Joy

It has been known that the most widely available medicine for relieving pain is paracetamol but a study has revealed that it can also reduce some feelings of pain and even joy as per report of The Guardian news.

Results show that among those people who have taken acetaminophen-containing tablet have experienced different responses to both positive and negative photos.

Paracetamol has been readily available in the market over-the-counter for more than seventy years and it has not registered having side effects from its users.  The result was recently published by the Psychological Science which is a journal containing reviews by peers.

In the study participated by a number of people who have taken paracetamol have expressed that they do not have an idea why there was a different reaction and why they acted differently.  Psychology Assistant Professor Baldwin Way has written the reactions and he was one of the authors in the study conducted.

In America alone, 23% of the US population of nearly 52 million users of medicines containing the ingredient acetaminophen has been used each week.  This is according to the Consumer Healthcare Products Association which is a non-profit organization. 

The non-profit association was also asked to review and make a rating for several images which ranges from negative to positive even how extremely the contents are given in the earlier studies where participants were given acetaminophen-containing medicines.  The comparison was with those who were not able to feel highs and even lows from those who received placebos.

The study also revealed that the people also were tested and studied with their reactions emotionally using a randomized controlled trial (RCT).  It was used to test those who were taking paracetamol can have blunt or different emotional reactions to several positive and negative images.  An hour later, the participants were then shown a number of emotional photos and the reactions were that it made their emotions dull and even included decrease in physical pain.