For minor cramps, aches, or pains, most of us grab a few Tylenol on the go to get back on our feet.
There’s nothing wrong with using an OTC pain reliever with acetaminophen to ease discomfort, but you might want to consider a few of these surprising side effects before you try too many:
- It makes your emotions feel mild: In a recent study from Ohio State University, researchers showed participants photos that were designed to elicit an emotional reaction. While those given the placebo showed obviously positive or negative reactions to the photos, those who took acetaminophen seemed pretty much unaffected, emotionally.
- It numbs the pain of rejection: Researchers gave 25 participants either the equivalent of four Extra-Strength Tylenols or a placebo. Then every individual was asked to play a computer game that essentially messed with their feelings of social rejection. While those taking the placebo, unfortunately, felt the full pain of being rejected, the participants who were given Extra-Strength Tylenols felt slightly numb to the pain.
- It’s harder to catch your mistakes: A recent study asked 62 adults to press a button every time an F appeared on their computer screen, but not when an E popped up. Surprisingly enough, those who were given two Extra-Strength Tylenols were less likely to notice when they made a mistake than the participants who took the placebo.
- It blurs your moral compass: Canadian researchers recently asked several people to write about their bodies after death right before setting a hypothetical bail amount for a woman arrested on prostitution charges. The idea, according to the researchers, was to see how sympathetic a person with acetaminophen in their system would react after thinking about something that would make most people feel anxious. What they discovered was that those who were given acetaminophen were more sympathetic and set lower bail amounts than the individuals taking the placebo.
