Most Used Analgesic Worldwide Causes Behavioral Changes, Study Says

According to a new study, one of the most used and taken drugs in the United States and the most commonly taken analgesic in the globe could be affecting your body more than just easing a headache.

What are Analgesics?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, Analgesics or pain killers are types of medications that relieve and ease different forms of pain from injuries, headaches to arthritis. Unlike medicines used for anesthesia for surgery, analgesics don't turn off a person's nerves or change a person's ability to see his surroundings.

Analgesics are often used after surgery, prescribed due to injury, acute and short-term pain, cramps, and chronic pain like arthritis, cancer, or back pain.

There are two major types of analgesics: opioids and anti-inflammatory analgesics. Anti-inflammatory analgesics work by reducing the swelling at the site of pain, like ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin.

On the other hand, analgesic opioids, also known as narcotics, work by changing a person's brain changes with perceiving pain. Many of these are similar to morphine, such as methadone, Codeine, and more.

Analgesics Induce Risk-Taking Behavioral Changes in New Study

According to a study in 2020, paracetamols such as Tylenol and Acetaminophen change a person's behavior when under the influence of the most common over-the-counter medication in the US and the world.

In a study published in the journal Oxford Academic, titled "Effects of acetaminophen on risk taking," researchers wrote that Acetaminophen is perceived to make people feel less negative emotions when considering partaking in risky activities. In short, these people feel less scared. With almost 25% of the population in the US consuming acetaminophen on a weekly basis, reduced risk perceptions and an increase in risk-taking could have vital effects on society.

These findings are added evidence to bodies of research that suggest acetaminophen effects on pain reduction also has an unintended extended reduction on different psychological processes, lowering a person's receptivity to hurt feelings, experiencing empathy at reduced levels, and blunting cognitive functions.

The study also suggests that people's ability to perceive and evaluate risks is also impaired when taking analgesic drugs. While the effects of the drug may be small, they are worth noting given how acetaminophen is the most common drug ingredient in the US, with more than 600 various kinds of over-the-counter medicines.

In a vast series of experiments with more than 500 university students as participants, the team of researchers measured how a single 1,000mg dose of the analgesic randomly assigned to participants affected their risk-taking behavior, compared to a controlled group in placebos.

In each of these experiments, participants were tasked to pump an un-inflated balloon on a computer screen, each pump earning imaginary money. The instructions were to earn as much as possible pumping the balloon as much as possible. The results of the experiment showed that students that took the analgesic prior to the tasks engaged significantly more risk-taking during the experiment to the controlled group that was more cautious and conservative reports ScienceAlert.

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