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Tylenol May Kill Kindness (washingtonpost.com)

Long-time Slashdot reader randomErr writes: In research published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience scientists describe the results of two experiments conducted involving more than 200 college students.Their conclusion is that acetaminophen can reduce a person's capacity to empathize with another person's pain. "We don't know why acetaminophen is having these effects, but it is concerning," senior author Baldwin Way, an Ohio State University psychologist, said. One of the studies has half the group consume a liquid with acetaminophen while the other group received a placebo. The group that drink the acetaminophen thought that people they read about experiencing pain was not as severe as the placebo group thought.
The Washington Post notes that acetaminophen is the most common drug ingredient in the United States, adding that "about a quarter of all Americans take acetaminophen every week."

169 comments

  1. Just an excuse by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    for the republican billionaire elite.

    1. Re:Just an excuse by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And what's the excuse of the democratic billionaire elite? Crony capitalism and double standards.

    2. Re: Just an excuse by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      First, I agree that it is wrong. Having said that, what I don't get is the hypocrisy: when Republicans do it, it's expected and just business as usual, hell it's why they got votes. When Democrats do it, scream and bawl to high heaven. What is the cause of this cognitive dissonance?

  2. Sounds plausible by fyrewulff · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I mean, the medicine alters your brain's perception of pain. Makes sense that it could, by proximity of function, alter your brain's perception of other people's pain.

    --
    "We need to get over this notion, that, for Apple to win... Microsoft must lose." - Steve Jobs, 1997
    1. Re:Sounds plausible by bersl2 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I personally find that acetaminophen is also good on the kind of pain induced by psychological withdrawl. If my brain starts hurting after having to go without one or more of my psychotropics for days, acetaminophen is better at addressing the spike being driven into my skull than other analgesics. So it does seem plausible that people with pain in the body may want to prefer NSAIDs or aspirin, unless contraindicated.

    2. Re:Sounds plausible by Oligonicella · · Score: 0

      Makes sense that it could, by proximity of function, alter your brain's perception of other people's pain.

      No it doesn't. "proximity of function" is a nonsense phrase. Try explaining that in biological instead of social science terms.

    3. Re:Sounds plausible by Calydor · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Perception of pain is reduced by the medicine.

      Person tries to empathize with pain described by imagining what it would feel like.

      Perception of pain IS REDUCED.

      Objective expression of empathy becomes reduced as a result, but subjectively, seen from the people in the test? They probably didn't feel less empathic.

      --
      -=This sig has nothing to do with my comment. Move along now=-
    4. Re: Sounds plausible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe that explains a few thungs with my ex.

    5. Re:Sounds plausible by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      I don't think it is quite like that. But acetaminophen does disable the sensation of pain by acting on the nerves directly, it even has counter effects when taken with sedatives like diazepam (Valium), so it is not surprising it has other effects on the nervous system.

    6. Re:Sounds plausible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The reason is that, if I recall right, paracetamol actually has anadamide-reuptake-inhibition effects. Anandamide is an endocannabinoid.

    7. Re:Sounds plausible by hey! · · Score: 2

      Not every medicine works at that level. Aspirin, Ibuprofen, naproxen sodium (alleve), while all different, are all COX-2 inhibitors, which reduce the production of prostaglandin hormones that both promote inflammation and sensitize peripheral nervous system neurons to pain. This is why you can't stack aspirin with Ibuprofen; they both work the same way. These drugs are unlikely to affect your judgment other than by reducing pain and inflammation.

      You *can* stack acetaminophen (Tylenol) with Ibuprofen, say taking it between your scheduled doses, because acetaminophen works completely differently. It operates inside the brain modifying the behavior of the brain's endocannabinoid system.

      This isn't the first psychological effect discovered for Tylenol. Studies have suggested that it may be effective for existential or purely psychological pain, e.g. the awareness that you're going to die some day.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    8. Re:Sounds plausible by Beeftopia · · Score: 1

      "It's so easy to hurt others when you can't feel pain" -- Hall and Oates, "Rich Girl"

    9. Re:Sounds plausible by Citizen+of+Earth · · Score: 1

      Or these researchers simply haven't figured out that correlation and causation are different things.

    10. Re:Sounds plausible by Falconhell · · Score: 1

      After a recent accident, I was given a combintaion of Oxycodone and paracetamol, it was remarkable how much difference between just Oxycodone, and the paracetamol at the same time was, much better when combined.
      I read somewhere recently that studies had shown paracetamol was ineffective for back pain.

    11. Re:Sounds plausible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yup, anadamide reuptake inhibitor. From Wiki:

      "The mechanism of action of paracetamol is not completely understood. Unlike NSAIDs such as aspirin, paracetamol does not appear to inhibit the function of any cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme outside the central nervous system, and this appears to be the reason why it is not useful as an anti-inflammatory.[99] It does appear to selectively inhibit COX activities in the brain, which may contribute to its ability to treat fever and pain.[99] This activity does not appear to be direct inhibition by blocking an active site, but rather by reducing COX, which must be oxidized in order to function.[99]

      It also appears that paracetamol might modulate the endogenous cannabinoid system in the brain through paracetamol's metabolite, AM404. AM404 appears to inhibit the reuptake of the endogenous cannabinoid/vanilloid anandamide by neurons, making it more available to reduce pain. AM404 also appears to be able to directly activate the TRPV1 (older name: vanilloid receptor), which also inhibits pain signals in the brain."

    12. Re: Sounds plausible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Now all we need is a study that shows High Fructose Corn Syrup lowers IQ, and we've pretty much explained 50 years of America's cultural devolution.

    13. Re:Sounds plausible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      For my brain, acetaminophen doesn't alter its perception of pain. It does, however, royally screw up my brain's perception of just exactly WTF my inner ear is trying to tell it. Vertigo sucks. Vertigo sucks more when you have a headache that won't go away.

      And then there's the myriad of other drugs that are blended with acetaminophen. For example, the most-commonly prescribed form of hydrocodone (e.g. Vicodin) is actually a tiny dose of hydrocodone with a large dose of acetaminophen. So when I had my wisdom teeth removed a few months ago, I had to tell my dentist that I'm allergic to acetaminophen. Fortunately, Vico-profen (hydrocodone/ibuprofen) is a thing, mostly for exactly this sort of case. Bonus: there's more hydrocodone and less ibuprofin in the mix, making them a much stronger pill. The usual stuff is 12.5mg hydrocodone and 500mg acetominophen, but the alternate is 25mg hydrocodone and 300mg ibuprofen. That shit works, let me tell you.

    14. Re:Sounds plausible by GNious · · Score: 1

      Guess is why Over-The-Counter Paracetamol+Codeine is available in places :)

    15. Re:Sounds plausible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Let me take a wild guess here: you are not a doctor. You are not even in pre-med, or work in any capacity in medicine.
      Am I right? Of course I'm right.
      So please, in the name of all that has even an inkling of intelligence, keep your ignorant opinions to yourself.

    16. Re:Sounds plausible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Aspirin, Ibuprofen, naproxen sodium (alleve), while all different, are all COX-2 inhibitors, which reduce the production of prostaglandin hormones that both promote inflammation and sensitize peripheral nervous system neurons to pain. ... These drugs are unlikely to affect your judgment other than by reducing pain and inflammation.

      There have been studies showing those drugs effect judgement (emotions) as well.

  3. Uh Oh... by lobiusmoop · · Score: 4, Insightful
    --
    "I bless every day that I continue to live, for every day is pure profit."
    1. Re:Uh Oh... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm no psychologist, but it seems to me to be a pretty big step from "I can't feel my pain, and I can't detect yours" to "OMG! KILL ALL MY TEAMMATES!!"

    2. Re:Uh Oh... by grimJester · · Score: 2

      When a quarter of the population is taking it, worry about politics instead.

    3. Re:Uh Oh... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't automatically think this is a bad thing for politics. Have you considered that empathy is maybe doing more harm than good?
      http://www.econtalk.org/archives/2017/02/paul_bloom_on_e.html

    4. Re:Uh Oh... by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      Of course they are. Why do you think the Soviets boozed up their soldiers before sending them to fight in WW2 against like Finland? Mind you, they didn't always make for the best troops, but at least they kept trying to go forwards.

    5. Re:Uh Oh... by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      Boozing up your soldiers/sailors is an ancient tradition. e.g. 'Dutch courage'. 'The royal navy runs on rum and sodomy' etc etc.

      Plenty of legitimate things to beat up the Ruskys with.

      In the winter war, you can bet both sides kept flasks on antifreeze on hand.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    6. Re:Uh Oh... by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 1

      Only if you don't want to feel empathy as you deprive 22 million people of necessary health care, and kick 1.4 million people out of old age homes into the street. If you don't have any empathy for that, then please take a few bottles of tylenol with your lunch.

      --
      "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
    7. Re:Uh Oh... by epyT-R · · Score: 1

      I suspect your post is a perfect example of the point the linked author is trying to make (I haven't listened to the talk, just read the summary). Knee-jerk politics and fallacy ridden policy serve no one, regardless of ideology or issues.

    8. Re:Uh Oh... by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 1

      The figures I gave are from the government, not me. I'm just quoting them. Being worried about people losing health care coverage isn't knee-jerk politics unless you've taken too much Tylenol. :-)

      But we can't blame Tylenol for the original problem, even in our wildest dreams. Both major parties are broken when it comes to serving citizens first, and that's down to greed and a lust for power. "Citizens" is just another variable to be manipulated.

      --
      "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
    9. Re:Uh Oh... by Citizen+of+Earth · · Score: 1

      I'm sure the military has much more powerful psychopathy-inducing drugs than acetaminophen. ISIS uses Captagon for this purpose.

    10. Re:Uh Oh... by Cederic · · Score: 1

      If 22 million people decide that once they're no longer going to be fined for failing to insure themselves they'll take on the risk of being uninsured, I'm pretty fucking short on empathy if they subsequently find themselves lacking necessary health care.

      But no, I wont kill myself. Nice show of empathy there from you.

    11. Re:Uh Oh... by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 3, Insightful

      These are not people who have a choice - not when premiums jump 5x or more. In the case of someone with metastatic cancer, premiums will be $140k a year. Just how many patients, already coping with severe diseases, can make that sort of coin? How are the 1.4 million in retirement homes supposed to pay? It's not like ther are jobs outside of congress and the senate for sclerotic people suffering from dementia.

      --
      "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
    12. Re:Uh Oh... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You didn't read the CBO report, obviously.
      Of the 22 million, 20 million are people that DO NOT WANT to buy the required insurance. Almost all are healthy young people in their 20s or 30s, who know that the likelihood of a serious injury or illness is small enough that paying in cash later is a better investment than paying for insurance that goes unused for year after year.

    13. Re:Uh Oh... by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 3, Informative

      And you obviously don't realize that this is the planet Earth, where shit happens. A small likelihood, over time, grows into a near certainty.

      And your numbers are off. Stop making up shit when it's so easy to go to the CBO and get the facts:

      CBO and JCT estimate that, in 2018, 15 million more people would be uninsured under this legislation than under current law—primarily because the penalty for not having insurance would be eliminated. The increase in the number of uninsured people relative to the number projected under current law would reach 19 million in 2020 and 22 million in 2026. In later years, other changes in the legislation—lower spending on Medicaid and substantially smaller average subsidies for coverage in the nongroup market—would also lead to increases in the number of people without health insurance. By 2026, among people under age 65, enrollment in Medicaid would fall by about 16 percent and an estimated 49 million people would be uninsured, compared with 28 million who would lack insurance that year under current law.

      That's 5 million less. And many of those 15 million are going to wish they had health care insurance, especially with the 6-month penalty if they sign up for coverage, and the pre-existing conditions waivers. The reason for insurance is to spread the risk pool, because it's guaranteed that some will need it, and there is no way to predict it.

      And the effect will vary by state:

      In the agencies’ assessment, a small fraction of the population resides in areas in which—because of this legislation, at least for some of the years after 2019—no insurers would participate in the nongroup market or insurance would be offered only with very high premiums. Some sparsely populated areas might have no nongroup insurance offered because the reductions in subsidies would lead fewer people to decide to purchase insurance—and markets with few purchasers are less profitable for insurers. Insurance covering certain services would become more expensive—in some cases, extremely expensive—in some areas because the scope of the EHBs would be narrowed through waivers affecting close to half the population, CBO and JCT expect. In addition, the agencies anticipate that all insurance in the nongroup market would become very expensive for at least a short period of time for a small fraction of the population residing in areas in which states’ implementation of waivers with major changes caused market disruption.

      The areas with the poorest people will have the fewest purchasers. That means some areas will not have nongroup insurance at any price.

      Under this legislation, starting in 2020, the premium for a silver plan would typically be a relatively high percentage of income for low-income people. The deductible for a plan with an actuarial value of 58 percent would be a significantly higher percentage of income—also making such a plan unattractive, but for a different reason. As a result, despite being eligible for premium tax credits, few low-income people would purchase any plan, CBO and JCT estimate.

      And how about a new lifetime cap?

      Out-of-pocket spending would also be affected for the people—close to half the population, CBO and JCT expect—living in states modifying the EHBs using waivers. People who used services or benefits no longer included in the EHBs would experience substantial increases in supplemental premiums or out-of-pocket spending on health care, or would choose to forgo the services. Moreover, the ACA’s ban on annual and lifetime limits on covered benefits would no longer apply to health benefits not defined as essential in a state. As a result, for some benefits that might be removed from a state’s definition of EHBs but that might not be excluded from insurance coverage altogether, some enrollees could see large increases in out-of-pocket spending because annual or lifetime limits would be allowed.

      --
      "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
    14. Re:Uh Oh... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And you want to take MY money, that I made from MY brilliant POS/ERP system that's so awesome that people pay me to be allowed to work on it because it looks so good on their resume's. Where's your empathy for ME, you old trout?
      --
      roman_mir

    15. Re:Uh Oh... by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 1

      You always have the same complaint, ignoring all the benefits you get from publicly funded projects - roads, sidewalks, water and sewer, fire, police, food inspection, etc. Grow the f*ck up and quit your whining. It's become exceedingly tedious.

      --
      "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
    16. Re:Uh Oh... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can't seem to empathize with the intense pain rich people feel whenever they pay taxes. You're a monster!

    17. Re:Uh Oh... by Maritz · · Score: 1

      I've never seen a culture quite so proud of its lack of empathy as the US culture.

      --
      I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
    18. Re:Uh Oh... by wildstoo · · Score: 1

      MY brilliant POS/ERP system

      Citation needed. Also, "resumes" is a plural, so it doesn't have an apostrophe.

  4. Autism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Perhaps this will shed some interesting light on the whole Theory of Mind thing.

    1. Re:Autism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just because some people don't buy into SJW -isms doesn't mean they're autistic.

    2. Re:Autism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thanks for the insight, Captain Obvious.

  5. The topic should be updated by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    This active ingredient is used by multiple manufacturers and highlighting a trade name and not the active ingredient the study was conducted on is bad practices.

    1. Re: The topic should be updated by Tomahawk · · Score: 1

      In the US, Tylenol has become synonymous with aceominophen (or paracetamol) -- the vast majority won't recognise the name "aceominophen".

    2. Re:The topic should be updated by SlithyMagister · · Score: 2

      The actual article uses acetaminophen or paracetamol in its discussion. It uses the brand name only in the sentence: "Acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, is the most popular painkiller in the USA."

    3. Re: The topic should be updated by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      In the US, Tylenol has become synonymous with aceominophen (or paracetamol) -- the vast majority won't recognise the name "aceominophen".

      In France, and apparently most of Europe, only the international name "paracetamol" is known, which isn't even mentioned in the summary... It's above the two others on Google...

      Wikipedia says "acetaminophen is the name generally used in the United States, Japan, Canada, Venezuela, Colombia and Iran; paracetamol is used in international venues"...

      And for Tylenol: "as of 2017, the Tylenol brand was used in Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, Lebanon, Myanmar, Oman, the Philippines, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, the United States, and Vietnam"...

    4. Re: The topic should be updated by johanw · · Score: 1

      Good to know. The stuff does absolutely nothing with me when I have pain so I avoid using it.

    5. Re: The topic should be updated by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      It's like they speak an entirely different language there...omelet du fromage...

      They can all actually understand english, but only if you speak very slowly and with a fake frog accent.

      Actually: The best way to fake them out and get them to admit speaking English is to learn a little German.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    6. Re:The topic should be updated by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

      Tylenol is what most people call the drug in the US. In fact, I don't know anywhere where acetaminophen is the common name. In English speaking parts of Yurp, it's usually called "Paracetamol", for example. Using the technically correct generic term would confuse more than it would help.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    7. Re: The topic should be updated by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      Same here, the only things that work for me are tequila and nitrous oxide.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    8. Re: The topic should be updated by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

      Same here, the only things that work for me are tequila and nitrous oxide.

      I wonder if you could make a sparkling Tequila?

      Like soft drinks are "carbonated". Only instead of carbonation it would be nitrous oxide forming the bubbles.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    9. Re: The topic should be updated by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      I found some hits for using it with beer but I suspect they're getting it confused with nitrogen, which I know for a fact is used for stuff like stouts.

      Do you know anyone who works in a hospital/dental clinic ... give it a try (though I wouldn't!).

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    10. Re: The topic should be updated by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apparently it's just am American alternative name for paracetamol.

  6. Have you seen Trump's wrestling tweet? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The man must be high on this.

  7. Wow a 2016 article. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is a very old story.

  8. Re: nope by bistromath007 · · Score: 2

    If Tylenol does shit for it, it's not a migraine.

  9. Acetaminophen or pain killers in general ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is this specific to acetaminophen, or is the same effect observed with other pain killers ?

    1. Re:Acetaminophen or pain killers in general ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      other pain killers

      Like heroin and Fentanyl? Yes. It suppresses empathy to the point that users can stab strangers on the street to get a few dollars for their habit.

    2. Re: Acetaminophen or pain killers in general ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, thats called addiction. Something I've been thru and seen many friends die over. Until you witnessed it first hand for yourself, then please don't try to pass it off as "I just wanting some drugs so I'm going to stab people."

    3. Re: Acetaminophen or pain killers in general ? by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      Don't try and make it much more complicated than that either. Using is a choice, it was always a choice. Not an easy choice, but until the choice is made, 'help' is pointless.

      I don't know what to do with the pavlovian, end stage, almost automatons. Giving them a pass, because 'addiction', isn't part of the plan.

      I think the current wave of analogs from China plus local chemical knowledge will bring about de facto legalization. But the system will convulse for decades first and junkies will be dying in droves due to inconsistent strength. Eventually a (sitting congresscritter/SC/federal judge/Governor/First Lady/President) will OD, and they won't be able to cover it up. Then maybe, good old fashioned 'wholesome' Heroin will be decriminalized.

      The first real hardcore, longtime, junkies I knew as a kid was a DuPont grandchild and his scumbag entourage. Rich junkies are the worst. Run away.

      I'm so lucky cocaine makes me feel like I got hit by a truck...cause everybody likes opiates. I'm saving mine for impending death time, nothing would suck more than dying without painkillers. The opium poppy is 'god's gift to the dying', junkies are just opting into 'dying' early.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
  10. Paracetamol by Tomahawk · · Score: 5, Informative

    For the non-North-Americans, it's referring to Paracetamol.

    Strangely, ibuprofen and aspirin have the same names, but aceominophen/paracetamol doesn't.

    1. Re:Paracetamol by charliemerritt03 · · Score: 1

      I've seen "acetomenofen" in Latin America.

    2. Re:Paracetamol by religionofpeas · · Score: 1

      The chemical name is para-acetylaminophenol. Both acetaminophen and paracetamol take a different subset of the letters.

    3. Re:Paracetamol by demonlapin · · Score: 1

      "Aspirin" is a Bayer trademarked name. Legal shenanigans in the US led to Bayer losing the trademark here, but the proper generic name is acetylsalicylic acid - or ASA, for short.

      There are numerous other drugs that have slightly different generic names in different parts of the world, but most of them are not OTC and so are invisible to the layman. US succinycholine == UK suxamethonium, for example.

    4. Re: Paracetamol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or N-acetyl-para-aminophenol (APAP)
      But probably more accurately
      N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethanamide

    5. Re:Paracetamol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Strangely, ibuprofen and aspirin have the same names, but aceominophen/paracetamol doesn't.

      Ibuprofen and aspirin have different side-effects, just like paracetamol. They can't be sold with the same marketing names for the danger of confusion.

    6. Re:Paracetamol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The scientific name is N-acetyl-para-aminophenol; the European and American product names simply consist of two different subsets of syllables from the full name.

    7. Re:Paracetamol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Aspirin" is a Bayer trademarked name. Legal shenanigans in the US led to Bayer losing the trademark here, but the proper generic name is acetylsalicylic acid - or ASA, for short.

      It's not really shenanigans, but a classic case of failure to enforce a trademark. Lifted shamelessly from Wikipedia:

      Due to allowing the use of "Aspirin" for years by other manufacturing chemists, despite the trademark-infringing nature of the use, and its own failure to use the name for its own product when it began selling direct, Bayer lost its trademark in the United States in 1918, affirmed by court appeal in 1921. Today, aspirin is a generic word in Australia, France, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Jamaica, Colombia, the Philippines, South Africa, Ghana, the United Kingdom and the United States. Aspirin, with a capital "A", remains a registered trademark of Bayer in Germany, Canada, Mexico, and in over 80 other countries, where the trademark is owned by Bayer, using acetylsalicylic acid in all markets, but using different packaging and physical aspects for each.

  11. Re:Washington Post by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What? You don't think the Bezos Blog is a reliable, objective news site? Whatever would give you that idea?

  12. Re: Finally we know.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Conservatives give far more to charities. Explain that. Think about it.
    Your world view is an untrue soundbite. I feel very sorry for you and all Liberals. Your existence is based on untruth. And you don't even realize it.

  13. Re:Washington Post by ArhcAngel · · Score: 1

    Well there was that one time.

    --
    "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
  14. Re:Washington Post by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's every bit as good as Huff Post or USAToday. Oh wait.

  15. Re: nope by Brett+Buck · · Score: 1

    Exactly. Tylenol does exactly *nothing* for migraines. One of the worst migraines I have ever had was when I was on the nominal dose of Vicodin, which is like super-Tylenol with a mild opiate.

              Aspirin and caffeine (anacin or Excedrin {which has tylenol as a "filler" as far as I can tell}) is the only thing that you can get over-the-counter that is likely to have an positive effect on migraines.

  16. Re:Finally we know.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hillary lost the election. Get over it.

  17. How Does Acetaminophen Work? Nobody knows by ArhcAngel · · Score: 1

    Given that scientists still don't know how acetaminophen works to relieve pain is it any surprise it could affect more than just the pain receptors?

    --
    "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
    1. Re:How Does Acetaminophen Work? Nobody knows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      there's been recent studies that show it works on the endocannabinoid system.

      http://cen.acs.org/articles/92/i29/Does-Acetaminophen-Work-Researchers-Still.html

  18. Interesting observation by SlithyMagister · · Score: 1

    The article says: "A substantial body of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) research suggests that observing others experiencing pain (e.g. observing a person receiving a hot probe placed on the hand), activates brain regions that are also activated during one’s own experience of pain..."

    I think most of us have experienced the "wince reaction" when we someone else take a hit.
    My kids called this "sympathy pain" when they were little.
    What interests me about this study is I wonder what effect acetaminophen would have on me, since it has no apparent effect on pain. I've spoken with others who also indicate acetaminophen is useless against pain.

    The "sympathy pain" phenomenon leads to other questions...
    If a painkiller can block it, and if the observation of a painful event triggers a measurable reaction in the subject's brain, are endorphins released?
    If endorphins are released can this help explain why games like ice hockey and American football are so popular?

    1. Re:Interesting observation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe paracetamol works for only a subset of people.
      It does work for me, but the doctor explained to me that I should take double the doses due to my body mass, 120kg.

      Also interesting since paracetamol and ibuprofen are harmful to your body in different ways one is bad for your kidneys, one is bad for your liver, you can alternate between them so you can overlap the working of it. They normally prescribe you use it once every few hours so that your body can recover, which of course means the pain will come back. Of course always ask your doctor/pharmacy when mixing meds like this.

      I had to do this on a particular bad toothache.

      However you need to check the package, some brand pain killers have both paracetamol and ibuprofen in the same pill; with generics you have more choice.

  19. Re: Finally we know.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah, taking Healthcare from 33 Millions to give the top 0.1% a taxbreak, sounds really like a kindness...

  20. Re:Finally we know.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We've known the Democratic party conventions are salted with lead paint chips for years, and i'm fairly certain they've been spraying vaporized mercury across the bulk of major metropolitan areas since 1953. It certainly explains the liberal inability to form coherent thoughts...

  21. What about other analgesics? by macurmudgeon · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Comparing Tylenol against placebo is a start, but until it's compared against other pain relievers we won't know if the effects are specific to the drug or a generalized response to pain relievers in general.

  22. When you can't feel any pain? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    When you can't feel any pain? You may make the mistake of thinking others don't as well. So much for painkillers.

    APK

    P.S.=> I doubt THAT is the cause of this... or, is it?? apk

  23. Does Tylenol even work? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 2

    Over the years I've tried Tylenol for physical bumps and bruises and it has never seemed to work. Does it work for anyone? Aspirin and Ibuprofen both seem pretty effective, but Tylenol is like taking a sugar pill.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
    1. Re:Does Tylenol even work? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Only Tylenol 4 :) Codeine has a superadditive effect with acetaminophen. Otherwise, my experience is like yours. Aleve also works, kind of. Orudis KT worked great but they took it off the market because it was a liver killer.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    2. Re:Does Tylenol even work? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes. And in some cases it's better than the NSAIDS. WebMD has a summary of what over the counter pain killers are best for what - after warning you that they all cause cancer as well as living causes cancer.

      Fun fact: years ago I went for a drug test. I peed in the cup and the tech said OK! and showed me the door. Afraid I'd get falsely flagged
      I asked, "Aren't you going to ask what medicines I'm taking?"

      He rolled his eyes, "Are you taking yak yak yak Tylenol yak yak or any other cocaine derivative (derived???IDR) medication?"

      "Uh, no. Say what?!"

      "Have a nice day."

    3. Re:Does Tylenol even work? by demonlapin · · Score: 1

      Works for me. Generally go for naproxen due to longer half-life, but acetaminophen is much better than nothing. Codeine and hydrocodone don't add anything to it, in my experience. Never had any stronger opioids, so I can't speak to those.

    4. Re:Does Tylenol even work? by dunkelfalke · · Score: 1

      Yep, same here.

      --
      "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
    5. Re:Does Tylenol even work? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Tylenol was the only pain medicine other than narcotics that would dull the pain of my pneumothorax.

    6. Re:Does Tylenol even work? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This (and marketing bullshit) is why we have so many painkillers. They don't work for every person or every kind of pain. For me, of the soft painkillers, usually only Ibu works. Additional caffeine helps. Aspirin does little for pain, paracetamol does nothing.

      For muscle and joint aches I prefer topical stuff. Capsaicin (chili rub) is great.

    7. Re:Does Tylenol even work? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I suspect you misheard, there are no cocaine derivative medicines. He would have asked about codeine derivative medicines, as they can flag up as opiates on a drug test.

    8. Re:Does Tylenol even work? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Me too. But on the other hand, Paracetamol successfully lowered my fever last time I had a flu, while ibuprofen did little or nothing.

    9. Re:Does Tylenol even work? by markdavis · · Score: 1

      >"Does it work for anyone? "

      It doesn't for me. Seemingly does absolutely nothing, regardless of the dose. Ibuprofen, however, works great.

    10. Re:Does Tylenol even work? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Aspirin does a little. I generally take it for a pressure headache, and it seems to make those bearable long enough for the weather to change.

      Naproxen sodium (Aleve) works great for most other pains, since most of my pain is temporary tissue inflammation. Does jack and squat for a headache.

      Ibuprofen (Advil, Excedrin) works about as well as aspirin and works for the same things, but costs more. I generally don't bother. Mix it with hydrocodone, though, and it makes for a hell of a post-dental-surgery drug. (This stuff is called "Vico-profen" and it's Good Shit[tm]. You'll still feel the pain, but oddly you won't care.)

      Acetaminophen (Tylenol) makes the room spin. This is, obviously, not the desired effect. It also fails to make any sort of pain go away. This is exactly the opposite of the desired effect. I can only imagine the hell that would have ensued if I hadn't told the oral surgeon about this reaction.

    11. Re:Does Tylenol even work? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Works for me. Much better than aspirin, and a little better than ibuprofen.

  24. Science Disagrees by Roger+W+Moore · · Score: 3, Informative

    Actually paracetamol (acetaminophen for Americans) is effective against migraines but only in about 10% of people. The rule I was always told was that then you feel a migraine coming on - aura start etc. - you take paracetamol but if a migraine has already started ibuprofen is better. This seems to work most of the time for me.

    However, in both cases these are mild pain relievers and while they work for my migraines which are not particularly severe for more severe cases, like those my dad used to sometimes have, more powerful medications are required. In the UK you can also get paracetamol with added codeine tablets over the counter (in limited numbers and dosages since codeine is mildly addictive) and I find this often works particularly well taken at the start of a migraine.

    1. Re:Science Disagrees by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      Considering the migraine is due to blood vessels dilating you would be better off with something which actually has an effect on that like caffeine or aspirin.

    2. Re:Science Disagrees by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

      is effective against migraines but only in about 10% of people.

      So...one tenth of the time it works most of the time?

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    3. Re:Science Disagrees by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Last I checked, blood vessels were behind normal headaches. Actual migraines are suspected to be actually seizure disorder. (Testing requires finding multiple people whose migraines have a known trigger who are willing to let you hit that trigger & do neurological imaging. It's not going to be an easy study to do...)

    4. Re: Science Disagrees by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, for one tenth of the people it works most of the time, for the other nine tenths it never works.

    5. Re: Science Disagrees by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

      Your sentence subsumes my meaning.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    6. Re: Science Disagrees by zippthorne · · Score: 1

      Not really. The statement is that it is consistently effective for a specific 10% of the population. Not that it is only effective 10% of the time for everyone.

      Once you identify who is in the 10% and who is in the 90%, you stop using it for the 90%, so per-use it would actually be effective quite a bit more than 10% of the time.

      --
      Can you be Even More Awesome?!
    7. Re:Science Disagrees by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is not an either/or situation.

      I have (relatively mild) migraines. paracetamol/acetaminophen + caffeine at the very beginning of symptoms often helps. Would either on its own help just as much? Maybe. Don't care. Gonna do both.

    8. Re:Science Disagrees by Roger+W+Moore · · Score: 1

      Except that for some people caffeine actually triggers migraines.

    9. Re:Science Disagrees by Roger+W+Moore · · Score: 1

      No, what the data in the article claim is that paracetamol is effective for about 10% of migraines. However, it includes no data about the timing of the medication. For me, it only works when taken right at the start of the attack and then it works really well. If taken when a migraine is in full swing it does practically nothing but ibuprofen works - but that is just personal anecdote which is no substitute for real data.

    10. Re:Science Disagrees by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's not what Wikipedia thinks.
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migraine#Pathophysiology

    11. Re: Science Disagrees by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

      That is exactly what I meant, although I may have relied on context too much and didn't state it explicitly that I meant people and their biochemistry. I was simply making joke of the "it is very effective, in 10% of people" phrasing above.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
  25. Re: Finally we know.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Conservatives give far more to charities. Explain that.

    They have a vestigial conscience. They're fully aware of how their policies cause suffering, but a bit of personal charity takes the edge off their guilt.

  26. trumpism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A quarter of americans per week take this?

    A quarter of americans voted for trump.

    All of them with sociopathic intent.

    I wonder what the correlation here is.

    1. Re:trumpism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not numb to liberal tears, loving them. The supreme court is safe for your lifetime...sucks to be you.

  27. More Great Editing by chipschap · · Score: 1

    "The group that drink the acetaminophen thought that people they read about experiencing pain was not as severe as the placebo group thought."

    If you can unscramble this, you're good. Slashdot "editors"--- great work!

  28. Next test by argStyopa · · Score: 1

    Is it just painkilling meds doing this?

    Is this result ALSO seen to any degree with say, aspirin, ibuprofen, etc?

    That's the real question.

    --
    -Styopa
  29. Another great moment in science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They needed a study to find that people are more sensitive to things they experience personally.

    My grandmother could have told you that for free.

  30. Re: Finally we know.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Romney lost the election, get over it.

    Ohhhh waitttttt.

  31. acetaminophen by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Of course the study needs to be replicated before it means anything at all, but either way it doesn't say anything specific about acetaminophen. As the study says, fMRI research shows that the same brain regions light up for our own pain as well as observing other people's pain so it would make sense that any drug that suppressed activity in those regions would also suppress our ability to "feel" other people's pain. The study only tested acetaminophen against placebo and didn't test any other pain medications to see if they had a similar effect. As usual with these kinds of premature media announcements, more research is needed.

  32. Re:Washington Post by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    During the election WaPo and Trump got into a hissy fit and Trump threatened to pull their press credentials. Right after that every single day my news feed was filled with WaPo stories with Trump in the headlines.

  33. Was not as severe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How is that equivalent to killing kindness. Are slashdot editors just that fucking stupid, or did they learn the art of Drudge Report headlines.

    What next, that people on narcotics or alcohol don't have your best interests at heart?

  34. Tylenol causes prenatal inflammation to some. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Tylenol causes prenatal inflammation to some.

    During development, this attacks the CNS, destroying it.

    The result is decades of lobbying and downplaying.

    Corrupt as fuck.

  35. You know also what kills empathy ? by aepervius · · Score: 1

    Pain and particularly headaches. They should also compare with tylenol and pain together, and pain alone. I am betting they will find out while tylenol MAY have an effect, not using it will also have a strong negative effect....

    --
    C. Sagan : A demon haunted world:
    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345409469/
    visit randi.org
    1. Re: You know also what kills empathy ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thanks to osteoarthritis in my neck I had constant, near unbearable pain that included a migraine-like headache as a spillover that went on for a constant 6 years, which has finally receded but still flares up occassionally. It didn't make me empathise less so much as not pay much attention to the outside world much, so wouldn't have even been aware to empathise. Since then I've found I empathise a lot more with those suffering, not less.

  36. Re: Finally we know.... by HornWumpus · · Score: 0

    They are more 'religious', most for profit churches (which is virtually _all_ of them) are structured as charities for tax purposes. Put another way...many conservatives deduct social club dues as charity giving.

    --
    John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
  37. Except you don't feel pain when empathizing.. by denzacar · · Score: 1

    You feel FOR other's pain.
    You get an emotional reaction AS IF you're being hurt - minus the pain.
    And even that is if you're REALLY susceptible to empathy. Most cases you just feel a bit sad.

    Otherwise, doctors in hospitals would be dead from shock in a few days from all the pain they'd empathize with.
    Similarly, we don't get carted out of theaters on a stretcher after watching a comedy surrounded by other people and their happiness.

    It's a psychological study.
    It's a safe bet that it is either bullshit or overblown bullshit.

    --
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
    1. Re:Except you don't feel pain when empathizing.. by religionofpeas · · Score: 1

      You don't feel literal pain, but most likely some of the pathways are shared for experiencing someone else's pain and your own. Evolution is good at optimizing.

    2. Re: Except you don't feel pain when empathizing.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Pain relievers are mildly effective for heartbreak and loss, so presumably these systems have a bit of tie-in with whatever it is a painkiller does- or at least some painkillers.

    3. Re:Except you don't feel pain when empathizing.. by The+Rizz · · Score: 1

      You feel FOR other's pain.
      You get an emotional reaction AS IF you're being hurt - minus the pain.

      Tylenol has been indicated to reduce emotional pain as well as physical pain, so equating empathy for others' pain to an emotional response supports this.

    4. Re: Except you don't feel pain when empathizing.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      0.04% chance that it will be retracted? Care to place money on it? I'm game. Also, I have a bridge to sell if you're interested.

    5. Re:Except you don't feel pain when empathizing.. by denzacar · · Score: 1

      Tell that to your appendix. And unwanted body hair. Or wanted but no longer there hair. Or your wisdom teeth.

      But besides that... even at a glance (which is far more than it should be given) data measured in the study, along with their p-values, are of the kind which will clearly disappear in a larger group with proper controls.
      They get median changes in values from -0.22 for acetaminophen to +0.22 for placebo groups - on a scale of -4 to +4. For physical pain.
      -0.19 and +0.19 for social pain.
      That's the result you get when you have a few people who are uncomfortable with having a 0 effect.

      Difference of 0.44 and 0.38 on a scale of 0 to 8.
      Those are reported differences of about 5% on a scale where you grade in increments of 12.5%.

      How did THEY interpret that?

      As predicted, acetaminophen reduced perceived pain and personal distress when reading scenarios about people in both physical and social pain; the effect of acetaminophen on perceived social pain was marginally significant.

      Well color me biased, observer...

      --
      Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
    6. Re:Except you don't feel pain when empathizing.. by denzacar · · Score: 1

      First study is bursting with methodology flaws. I doubt that it was even published.
      Aaaaand I was right. It was heavily edited before publishing.
      He dropped the prostitute scenario in the first experiment (the one actually showing more "empathy" for the placebo group).

      In the video scenario... well...
      Apparently it's not acetaminophen but watching David Lynch that's causing the effect.
      Cause while the control group, which watches only cartoons, has minimal effects, well covered by error bars for both placebo and acetaminophen - those in David Lynch watching group want to punish people more for vandalism after a sports game.
      BUT... those on acetaminophen in Lynch group have IDENTICAL results as those in the cartoon group - taking placebo.
      Which, again, is barely different from those in cartoon group - taking acetaminophen.

      In short... all he's "proven" is that watching David Lynch's Rabbits makes you want to punch people.

      The other linked study has laughable effects and tiny groups - 30 and 32 participants in first experiment, 10 and 15 in the second.
      That's not a study. That's pretend work.
      Plus their methodology was also flawed, up and down the wazoo.

      Giving people something which reduces pain and inflammation, thus reducing stress levels... that's NOT lower emotional pain. That's measuring lower irritation over time.

      And even that is by an NEGLIGIBLE AMOUNT.
      Differences between groups increasing from -0.14 to -0.38. On average. Over 21 days. FOR THE acetaminophen group.
      Which also started off with a lower "hurt feelings" score than the placebo group.

      WHILE the placebo group (though study also claims no change - in the slope) kept getting more "hurt feelings".
      TOUGH there was no standardized stimuli to cause the daily "hurt feelings". For either group.
      Both groups just "took acetaminophen or placebo in pill form each day for 3 weeks and reported their hurt feelings daily".
      Still... placebo crowd kept getting more "hurt feelings".

      And it's even worse when you look at actual numbers.
      Cause acetaminophen group went from 2.35 average daily "hurt feelings" to about 2.17 - while placebo group, went from about 2.45something to about 2.55, average daily "hurt feelings".
      Their reported slopes were 0.0035 and -0.0081 for placebo and acetaminophen groups, respectively.
      For 30 people.
      Over 21 days.
      Reporting completely subjectively determined changes in their "hurt feelings" - in values measured in percentiles of percentiles.
      On a scale that goes from at least 2 to at least 3 (as shown on the graph). We are not shown or told actual scale which participants used to measure their "hurt feelings".
      There's no scale which starts at 2. Particularly not one which measures negative values as well.
      Still... Everyone started around 2.5... and ended around 2.5.

      That's a faulty study. Fraudulent even.

      TLDR:

      Tylenol has been indicated to reduce emotional pain as well as physical pain,

      Nope.

      --
      Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
  38. Re:Washington Post by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 1

    They were warning about the enemy within. We never thought it would become in the form of a sack of shit disguised as a bag of semi-sentient Cheetos.

    If someone had written this as a way for space aliens to destroy the human race, it would have been laughed at. But look at that thing Trump calls hair - lots of tendrils going into the head - perfect for mind control :-)

    --
    "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
  39. Hmmmm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan are Tylenol addicts?

    1. Re:Hmmmm... by Narcocide · · Score: 1

      Couldn't say, really. But it sure explains the problem with my mother...

  40. Re: Finally we know.... by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 1
    Nah, it's just for the tax breaks and influence it buys. Same as many large donors. Not like this guy, who gave millions to charity while hiding his identity

    Foote was diagnosed with cancer in April 2004, and returned to Edmonton for treatment at the Cross Cancer Institute. But the disease had taken a firm grip, and he died one month later, leaving behind a will which left only a tiny fraction of his $220 million US estate to his family. (Anne got an annuity, the children got $100,000 each, according to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald.)

    The bulk of his fortune was left to the Edmonton Community Foundation and The Lord Mayor's Charitable Fund in Melbourne, Australia.

    Bentley, his longtime friend, was executor of the will. He believes Foote had given his children what they really needed — which was not his vast fortune.

    "He felt that if he gave his children an education and money to buy a house and left them a small amount in his will that that was enough," he said. "If they're educated they can make a living."

    The family didn't see it that way. Anne and five of his children filed suit in what became a long and bitter challenge of the will, which also directed her to move out of Foot Nort within two years.

    The justice hearing the case in Alberta Court of Queen's Bench called the will "mean spirited" noting that it "essentially disinherited his immediate family."

    But despite that, the challenge failed in 2009

    Sounds like a Hallmark Movie-of-the-Week.

    --
    "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
  41. Re:Finally we know.... by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 1

    Judging by how the republicans are acting recently, they're finally realizing they too lost the election.

    --
    "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
  42. Imagine the wealth! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How's that Taboola money coming boys?

  43. from personal experience by computerchimp · · Score: 1

    Sounds reasonable to me.

    When I would take Excedrin (which has acetaminophen) I would get this lovey type feeling.
    Maybe it acts like other drugs and reduces the ability of those lovey sections of the brain from working as well.

    I am not a lovey guy but I am not about to jump to the conclusion is was all the Excedrin I was taking but I always worried a bit that I may have overdid it because of its affects on the liver. Now I have one more thing to dissuade me from using it.

  44. Re:Washington Post by tomhath · · Score: 0

    Trump bashing is all that's left at WaPo. Real journalism is dead there.

  45. Clickbait by tomhath · · Score: 1

    A brand name makes better clickbait, which is all the only thing EditorDavid posts..

  46. Re:nope by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I get migraines to the point that I also am partially blind in one eye when it occurs. But I don't treat other people like shit when it happens, I suspect that is a psychological issue on your part rather than something related to your migraine.

  47. so can a headache by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Because having pain reduces sensitivity to someone other's pain. (paracetamol kills it effectively).

  48. Intended effect by kelanos · · Score: 1

    Pain is an absolutely essential component of the information you get from your environment. It's a required part of complete cognitive process.

    In case you missed most of reality (mass surveillance, stupefying media, federally mandated false education, economic disparity (bubbles, crashes, depressions), etc.), most of society exists to control you. The medical industry is no exception. It exists not to help you achieve your potential through good health, but to CONTROL you, keeping you healthy enough to work but too unhealthy to compete against higher status people.

    By cutting out much of the stimulation and motivation that small pains provide, people are kept apathetic, stupid, and weak.

    Your aching joints are telling you to stop being a lazy sack, your cuts, scrapes, and burns are trying to increase your coordination, and your headache is telling you order your life to reduce stress.

    As if ANYONE couldn't tell this with common sense, as if this doesn't occur to every single doctor, as if this isn't on the mind of the doctors who devise medical protocols.

    Of course it's intentional.
    Just because you don't know what to do about it doesn't mean you have an excuse to ignore it.

  49. Trump explained, then? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I guess that explains how an ostensibly civilized country ended up electing a person, whose sole stand-out personality trait is being a complete and utter jerk, to its highest office. Empathy malfunction on a truly epic scale.

    1. Re:Trump explained, then? by preflex · · Score: 1

      "Not so bad huh? Here's some highlights from last week's rehabilitation ... And who could forget that wonderful finish by rehab officer Tylenol Jones! And tomorrow night looks even more better! Word is that Beef Supreme himself might come out of retirement!"
      -- Formica Davis

  50. irony by markdavis · · Score: 1

    >"Their conclusion is that acetaminophen can reduce a person's capacity to empathize with another person's pain."

    I find that ironic because it seems acetaminophen doesn't do anything at all to alleviate my pain, ever. Ibuprofen, on the other hand, works great. Perhaps many of the test volunteers were still IN PAIN when using acetaminophen and so they can't think of others at the time (pain is, unfortunately, very good at bringing focus to itself).

  51. No 'Murica... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...you can't get away with this as an excuse.

  52. Acetaminophen Kills Kindness? by mschwanke97402 · · Score: 0

    "about a quarter of all Americans take acetaminophen every week."

    Well, I finally understand why there are so many out and out a**holes on Internet message forums these days. Here I just thought it was basic human nature expressing itself from the anonymity of a made up user handle.

  53. No... its pain meds. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's actually any pain medication. This study is flawed.

    This information is commonly known.

    -1 Slashdot

  54. There was a T-shirt company one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    At some point there were ads everywhere for this t-shirt. Were they part of this study?

  55. Re:nope by GuB-42 · · Score: 1

    Swearing is an effective painkiller.
    And yeah, this is serious, there is peer-reviewed research and all that stuff.

  56. It's not the acetaminophen by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's the menses.

  57. Re: nope by ffreeloader · · Score: 1

    As a side note, I too suffer from severe headaches. What I have found that works for me is to eat foods highly spiced with cayenne pepper. The reason cayenne works is that the active ingredient in cayenne is capsicum which is a natural pain reliever. Not a single over-the-counter or prescription medicine has ever worked for me, but cayenne does. I can have a really bad headache and within 15 minutes of eating highly spiced foods the headache is gone. Works every time for me.

    There are more peppers than cayenne peppers that work for me. Habeneros work. Also, what ever pepper is found in authentic Thai cooking works really well too. So, if you like spicy foods you might try eating some next time you feel a migraine coming on. May not work for you like it does for me, but cayenne/hot_peppers do not have the same isses all NSAIDs do. Other than the burning sensation, which in time you get used to and actually develop a taste for, the peppers are side-effect free.

    This also works for me on arthritis pain too. The days my knees are so bad that I can barely walk I eat a spicy meal and in no time at all my pain levels are reduced 90% or so. I go from hobbling to walking in less than a half hour.

    --
    "while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude." de Tocqueville
  58. US college students are not representative by mveloso · · Score: 4, Funny

    Didn't someone show that US college students are pretty much the worst subjects to do any testing on?

    http://ds-wordpress.haverford....

  59. Tylenol May Kill Kindness by Chrisq · · Score: 0

    Why is Tylenol like Islam?

    1. Re:Tylenol May Kill Kindness by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why is Tylenol like Islam?

      It removes all empathy and kills people in nasty ways where there is too much of it.

    2. Re:Tylenol May Kill Kindness by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why is Tylenol like Islam?

      Because it kills a lot of Americans - something we can all get behind!

  60. That's Paracetamol for UK posters by Chrisq · · Score: 1

    Tylenol is an American brand name for what they call Acetaminophen but is Paracetamol in the UK

  61. affect on the political/social climate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm thinking of years back, someone did a study on what lead in gasoline might have done to people. IIRC the basic gist was they found in every country where lead was taken out of gasoline, starting at some fairly predictable point after it was removed, you'd start to see a decline in violence/crime that would improve every year thereafter. It basically mapped to when you reached the point where most of the youth alive (the ones most likely to engage in violence/crime) were born after the lead was removed.

    And IIRC it was so pronounced and followed such a similar curve in every country that people have even suggested that a big part of the reason the USA has seen an overall decrease in violence in the past couple decades is because we took out lead from gasoline, made efforts to get it out of homes, etc.

    So a lot of people now take note that people just seem meaner, crueler, less empathetic to others misfortune and so on. Now no doubt some of that is just due to the whole Internet anonymity makes people emboldened to be assholes, but what if some of it is due to people overusing Tylenol so much for decades now?

  62. I had no idea it was so effective! by sabbede · · Score: 1

    It's such a great painkiller that you can't even feel someone else's! I see the basis for a new marketing campaign.

  63. I just had Tylenol by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

    I just had Tylenol and now I'm going to vote everyone's posts down on this topic.

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch
  64. Real Study by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    First, let's see a real study, not one that only deals with a small subset of people around a certain age, at ONE school. but rather one that deals with people all over the country, of all ages, and is a true double-blind study. Also, what about the error bars? Did they actually do any real statistical analysis of their results? Like, you know, use real statisticians?

  65. just read the study by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As I suspected they didn't do a good job with the statistics. No error measurements were taken. None analyzed. It is as if the researcher decided what the outcome of the study would be before they posed a hypothesis to test

  66. I would bet other pain meds do the same. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I see it in the users behavior.