Acetaminophen and Empathy: How deep are your feelings?

www.spring.org.uk...

I just read something this morning that confirms what I have long suspected. Tylenol and prescription pain relievers containing Tylenol are bad for relationships.

The ubiquitous painkiller does not just kill pain, it also kills our fellow-feeling.

I don't know if this is a smoking gun, but it definitely jibes with my own personal experience. I was in a relationship with a person for 18 years, and I always suspected a combination of prescription painkillers and anti-depressants destroyed her empathy, both for her children, and for myself.

This isn't the first time I've heard that Tylenol does more harm than good for many users. Empathy is vital to sustaining civilization of any size. I can't imagine a world full of people with LESS empathy will be good for any of us.

a reply to: 0zzymand0s

Interesting.

So in order to raise to the rank of psychopath CEO take some Tylenol to really not give a crap, screw everyone over, and still get a good night's rest.

a reply to: 0zzymand0s

so I should stick with ibuprofen? duly noted

Just a thought, but I wonder if there is a connection between the use of Acetaminophen and the (apparent rise of) various so-called "personality disorders?"

Wow i knew it killed your liver but this is a whole other level. I feel for your OP. My wife is the most empathetic person i have ever met. I hope that does not change. Will note this.

a reply to: 0zzymand0s

Hmmm...I don't know ? It's been my experience that people in a lot of pain can be pretty grumpy. However long term or habitual use of pain killers could indeed dull emotions, including empathy. I know I have also heard that Tylenol can have adverse health effects when over used and I don't know how much worse they could be when mixed with codeine or other narcotics.

Losing empathy for your spouse and children seems awfully extreme, my guess is there was more going on with her mental health. Very sad, sorry that happened to your family.

a reply to: MountainLaurel

I appreciate it, but this isn't really about her. I just used that story to illustrate the idea that I *may* have seen this phenomena in action before reading about these studies. But thank you! All is well!

Controlling for the grump-factor is vital in studies like this. I can't imagine the participants weren't anything but pain free. Otherwise, the results would be fairly meaningless, IMO.

a reply to: 0zzymand0s

A study in 2004 showed that the area of the brain we activate when we feel pain, is the same area we activate when we are empathizing with other people's pain. So this new study doesn't surprise me at all. LINK.

However, the sample size of the study is small and it needs to be replicated to confirm paracetamol does indeed reduce empathy in all people of all ages and how long those effects last. This painkiller has been used since 1887 and I don't think we have become less empathethic since then, on the contrary.

a reply to: Agartha

Good point and thanks for that link!

Love your name by the way!

originally posted by: 0zzymand0s
Good point and thanks for that link!

Love your name by the way!

Thank you, kind sir/lady. Many years ago when I was a teenager, I visited this place in North Argentina and the natives told me about a secret entrance to a secret hidden world inside our planet. I later learned that hidden world was called Agartha and I just fell in love with that name.

Have to point out that in a medical study 80 subjects is way too small a sample. All it does is indicate further studies amy be warranted.

a reply to: 0zzymand0s

Either that or the true 'empath' is tired of getting shat upon?

Being a C.P.G. (chronic pain Guy) and taking pain meds for a dozen years now, I'd suggest the person taking the Tylenol™ also add Milk Thistle and Nascent Iodine as supplements.

The Milk Thistle is for the liver and the NI is for the thyroid...

And unless that person has felt their pain, then it is a 'moot point' Sometimes pain gets old... and this leads to folks getting 'short'..

••• Your Mileage May Vary •••

namaste

really its a placbo and really doesnt help with pain they add it to real pain killers and people die from the placbo doing damage to the liver then cliam yhe drug is super dangerious. Really people think back to a time when you took it and it actaully stopped the pain not numbed it or worked 45 minutes later. maybe its just me but i cant think of a time when it worked.