LATEST SCIENCE ON TYLENOL AND SENIOR HEALTH

\\As recent research reveals more about the unexpected effects of Tylenol on brain pathways, it’s more important than ever to make sure our loved ones take acetaminophen safely.latest science on tyleorn and senoir healrttAs recent research reveals more about the unexpected effects of Tylenol on brain pathways, it’s more important than ever to make sure our loved ones take acetaminophen safely.lo

LATEST SCIENCE ON TYLENOL AND 

SENIOR HEALTH

Tylenol—or, more precisely, its active ingredient, acetaminophen—has long been a go-to over-the-counter treatment for physical pain like head and body aches, including arthritis. But scientists have realized over the past few years that acetaminophen affects pain of the emotional and mental variety, too.  As interesting as these experimental results may be, however, we don’t want to go straight to popping Tylenol in place of Xanax to ease our emotional distress. For one thing, there’s a lot that researchers still don’t know about what exactly acetaminophen is doing in the brain. On top of that, we already doknow that incorrect or excessive acetaminophen use can lead to serious physical health effects.

HowDoesTylenolWork?

As for what we already know about Tylenol, it takes away your headache by virtue of being an NSAID, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug—in simpler terms, that means it is a non-addictive, non-narcotic medication to dull pain and reduce fever in the body, which works by altering the pathways by which we sense pain and inflammation. Part of the reason it’s so widely used is that we don’t consider it to be extremely psychoactive—you can take a few Tylenol and still go about your daily business. But according to a study published a few months ago in Psychological Science, acetaminophen may in fact have previously unknown, subtle psychological effects in the realm of emotional pain.

“Pain exists in many forms, including the distress that people feel when exposed to thoughts of existential uncertainty and death,” says the study’s lead author Daniel Randles of the University of British Columbia. “Our study suggests these anxieties may be processed as ‘pain’ by the brain–but Tylenol seems to inhibit the signal telling the brain that something is wrong.” A previous study in 2010 suggested that Tylenol can help reduce the pain of social ostracism, another type of non-physical pain.

TheDangersofUnsafeAcetaminophenUse

Despite these intriguing reports, the UK’s National Health Service points out that the experimental situations devised by the researchers were very limited and specific—they aren’t convinced the research in this case is applicable to most people’s everyday lives. While it does provide intriguing data for future research, it’s not a green light for taking Tylenol to ease anxiety, since acetaminophen hasn’t been formally tested or accepted for uses other than relieving pain and fever.

In fact, while acetaminophen is one of the mostly widely used painkillers, the Food and Drug Administration also notes that acetaminophen overdose is the leading cause of liver failure in the U.S. Liver damage can result if a person takes more than the prescribed dosage of Tylenol, takes more than one medicine containing acetaminophen at the same time, or consumes three or more alcoholic drinks in a day while taking acetaminophen, according to the National Council on Patient Information and Education.

TylenolandSeniorHealth:HowtoUsePainkillersSafelyandEffectively

To avoid the dangers of unsafe acetaminophen use, the National Health Service recommends not taking it for any purpose other than the formally approved use of easing physical pain and inflammation, until more research is conducted on its other potential effects. If anxiety or stress is an issue in you or your loved one, consult a primary care doctor first.

For seniors who might be taking a combination of medications, there is additional advice from the National Council on Patient Information and Education, listed on their Medication Use Safety Training for Seniors website:

• Be sure to take all medications as directed by the label and/or your physician.
• Know if your medications contain acetaminophen, and if you aren’t sure, ask.
• Ask your doctor if acetaminophen might have any drug interactions with new or current medications.
• Don’t forget to check on herbal, dietary, or vitamin supplements and their potential interactions.

Some media outlets worry that Tylenol is having a subtle effect on our mental health without us even kno