Study: Acetaminophen Reduces Pleasure In Addition to Pain

A new study published in Psychological Science found that acetaminophen not only reduces pain, but pleasure as well.

The researchers determined that acetaminophen narrows the range of feelings a person experiences. It was already known that it "blunts" psychological pain. but the revelation about pleasure is new.

During the study, college students were either given 1,000 mg (considered an "acute" dose) of acetaminophen or a placebo with the same appearance. They were then shown a series of highly pleasant and unpleasant pictures and asked to rate how pleasant or unpleasant they were. Those who received the acetaminophen ranked the photos less extremely than those who took the placebo.

The researchers plan to expand their study to determine if other pain relievers, such as ibuprofen and aspirin, have the same effect.

To learn more, click here.