Paracetamol may be a more powerful painkiller than we realise.

Research shows that the popular pills don’t just ease our pain, they also stop us from feeling others’ pain.

It is thought by dulling the part of the brain that feels pain, we also find it harder to imagine what others are going through.

With previous research crediting paracetamol, which is known as acetaminophen in the US, with blunting joy, the researchers say we have a lot to learn about the drug.

Popular pills don’t just ease our pain, they stop us from feeling that suffered by others, a study has claimed

They said: ‘Acetaminophen can reduce empathy as well as serve as a painkiller.

‘It is concerning.

‘Empathy is important. If you are having an argument with your spouse and you just took acetaminophen, this research suggests you might be less understanding of what you did to hurt your spouse's feelings.’

In the first of two experiments, 80 college students were given a liquid to drink ahead of read short stories about people in pain.

This could by physical pain, such as being cut by a knife, or psychological distress, such as that caused by bereavement.

Half of the drinks had been spiked with paracetamol and the volunteers that had taken the painkiller were less sympathetic towards the people in the stories.

A second experiment, involving 114 participants, found those who had taken paracetamol were less bothered by loud noise.

They also believed that others would find it less irritating, the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience reports.

Ohio State University researchers said: ‘Acetaminophen reduced the pain they felt, but it also reduced their empathy for others who were experiencing the same noise blasts.

‘These findings suggest other people’s pain doesn’t seem as big a deal to you when you’ve taken acetaminophen.’

The team is now starting to study ibuprofen, to see if it produces similar results.

These findings suggest other people’s pain doesn’t seem as big a deal to you when you’ve taken acetaminophen,' the researchers suggest

Paracetamol’s surprising effects don’t end there, however.

Previous research has found it to take some of the pain out of making difficult choices.

It is thought that some of the brain areas involved in physical pain are also involved in mental discomfort, and so reducing one has knock-on effects on the other.

The University of Kentucky researchers said: ‘Humans have an unmatched ability to make complex decisions.

‘When people make decisions, they sometimes use words related to physical pain.

‘People might say it “hurt” to sell their home, that they were “crushed” when they decided to withdraw money from their retirement investment portfolio earlier than they’d planned, and that they were “pained” when they decided to resign from a job.

‘We propose that the pain of decision-making is not a mere metaphor.

‘If so, numbing them to physical pain should also numb them to the psychological pain involved in some sorts of decision-making.

‘Making decisions can be painful but a physical painkiller can take the pain away.’

Paracetamol may also take some of the pain out of spending cold, hard cash.

The researchers said: ‘A physical pain suppressant may reduce the so-called pain of paying, in which people experience greater psychological pain when they fork out their cash instead of swiping their credit card to purchase goods.’ 

Culled from Mail Online