Acetaminophen for mental health relief

[mdmc]

Source: University of Kentucky via psychcentral.com/

A provocative new research study investigates the possibility that over-the-counter pain relief drugs may be helpful for treatment of depression and anxiety.

Use of OTC medications for physical aches and pain has been commonplace for decades.

A research team led by psychologist C. Nathan DeWall of the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences Department of Psychology has uncovered evidence indicating that acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol) may blunt social pain.

“The idea that a drug designed to alleviate physical pain should reduce the pain of social rejection seemed simple and straightforward based on what we know about neural overlap between social and physical pain systems. To my surprise, I couldn’t find anyone who had ever tested this idea,” DeWall said.



Read more: http://psychcentral.com/news/2009/12/22/acetaminophen-for-mental-health-relief/10357.html

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Makes sense to me. Rob the menatal illness of its most punishing symptom - pain.

[Lint Head]

1. That's crazy!

:crazy:

[mdmc]

3. I don't know what you mean..

Is that a pun of some kind?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

2. i get bursts of euphoria when i take ibuprofen. no jokes.

[mdmc]

5. you might get the same effect from vicoden and other pain killers

The drug companies got in a little trouble for down playing the (addictive) good feelings these drugs cause.

[meow2u3]

20. That's because Vicodin and Percocet contain acetominiphen

Not just the narcotic painkiller meds.

[terip64]

6. I've been taking ibuprofen for years for PMS grochiness. It takes the edge off. n/t

[shadowknows69]

8. Ibuprophen has always worked better for pain for me but I can't take it.

Because of a blood thinner I'm on.

[itsrobert]

4. MAKES sense

ok

[shadowknows69]

7. Kool. If you don't mind your liver eventually failing.

I guess that makes my hydorcodone/acetaminophen mix pills even more useful.

[BakedAtAMileHigh]

10. I'll stick with the safer pain killer, thanks!

Those are some big Pharmie guns yer packin, cowboy. Careful with those things, they kill!

[shadowknows69]

11. Something always does. Kill. Don't really care about the way anymore.

I guess they aren't that good for depression after all eh?

[Helga Scow Stern]

12. Pot is not harmless either....n/t

[tavalon]

22. Don't Bogart that popcorn!

:popcorn:

[laughingliberal]

28. As an RN I have yet to find a harmless drug. It is about risk/benefit ratios. nt

[shadowknows69]

31. I'd say pot has a significantly less risk/benefit ratio than Vicodan.

Although it's not quite as good for pain. It has kept me from killing myself at various times.

[laughingliberal]

49. It is my opinion pot has less risk than Vicodin from a purely physiological standpoint

I think that's undeniable.

[mdmc]

34. pot is dangerous

for sure.. what makes it so good is what makes it so dangerous..

[ananda]

53. How is pot dangerous exactly?

Be specific.

[pattmarty]

54. He was being sarcastic. I believe he/she meant that because............

..........."weed" opens up your mind somewhat to see things in either a different way or totally new way, that is why it's "dangerous". I don't like to speak for somebody else I don't even know, but I believe that is what was meant.

[mdmc]

71. That is not what I meant but I wish that it was

peace and low stress

[mdmc]

70. What makes it good is what makes it dangerous

I wasn't being sarcastic, if it wasn't dangerous it wouldn't be any good. I can argue that getting high is dangerous. Harmless, all things considered, but still somewhat dangerous.

feel free to pm me if you want to know what I'm sayin..

[fascisthunter]

36. not to those of us who know harm when we feel it

if anyone feels harm more, it's those medicating or selfmedicating.

Pot is the MOST begning substance out there, and actually helps with anxiety and depression. Wanna know how I know this, because I have lived with depression and anxiety my whole life, and pot has helped my incredibly the last few years. You wouldn't believe how many people in very high positions smoke pot daily and function very well at work, very productive people in fact.

If there is a harm it is outweighed by its medicinal benefits.

Come to think of it, every drug you take, can harm you, but does that mean you won't take it at all? What do you take for headaches, migraines, stuffy nose, sorethroat. All drugs have a positive and negative...

[pattmarty]

51. Would you elaborate? AND, I don't want to hear about long disproven............

.........hack written pieces from 30 yrs ago or Harry Ainslinger's thoughts on it either.



We're all fucking ears, let's hear it.

[tridim]

47. Me too.

Although I do take two advil a few times a year when I have a particularly nasty morning headache.

Cannabis is great for inflammation, muscle pain and most importantly (in my case) stress reduction and sleep.

[fascisthunter]

9. most people don't realize that mental illness is a constant, unrelenting pain

think of depression as in having a bad flu.... body aches, vomiting, diahrea, loss of interest, moodiness, anxiety, social phobia....

While it is a "mental" illness, it has plenty of physiological implications, most don't even realize.

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

13. I did not realize this. The article was a fascinating read.

light bulb moment for me.

[fascisthunter]

25. yup... it really takes a lot for those depressed to do...

just the most menial tasks day to day because they have a constant battle on their hands, physically and mentally. There is help out there with medicines and therapy, but it takes even more than just that. Eating, sleeping, excersise are all a must for those who have depression... not much room for slacking, all while the illness makes you feel a lot less enthusiastic than the average person doing the same things.

I know brilliant people who have little to show for it because they suffered depresion their whole lives. One recurring theme for people with depression is the apathy others around them have for them. While people think they are encouraging those with depression to get up off their asses, they fail to realize what that means for those with depression. In fact, those with depression are usually considered lazy or anti-social... outcasts. Many of these same people have ended up on the streets because they could not hold down a job and couldn't pay for rent. "Those bums want to live on the street...." Not really, but they may even state that they would, because they have such a hard time adjusting to societies expectations.

Anyways, hope this helped a little. There are plenty of resources out there for people to learn more about this topic.

[laughingliberal]

30. Yep. I fought it all my life.

Managed to get to work and take care of myself for 25 years as a nurse with periods of time on meds which, sometimes helped and sometimes did not. Developed fibromyalgia along with it in the 90's and still kept pushing, My life was miserable but I just kept pushing. When everything blew up in the economy and my husband's business started failing and, then, I lost my job that was the end of my ability to do it. I'm here with my life totally devastated, very close to becoming homeless and I am absolutly unable to get back up, again. The loss of services for mental health has cost this country a lot. I am sure there are many, like me, who could be making a difference somewhere with proper treatment. Instead, we are poor and reviled as lazy.

[fascisthunter]

32. I am really sorry for your predicament and understand Depression enough

to know how painful things appear right now. Hang in there, talk a lot to people, and know there are others out there like "me" who have gone through something similar... I send you my best wishes...

The fight isn't over... it looks bad for all of us, but its not over till its over, and yes, I believe we will win in the end from never giving up.

[laughingliberal]

38. Thanks

Kind of hard for someone who has been largely agnotic to be praying for a miracle but I'm not exactly busy with anything right now and what could it hurt?

[fascisthunter]

43. nope... praying doesn't hurt, I don't think

and I'm an atheist. There's a good reason people put so much stock into faith... it's like anything else I think, we moderate or we go full-tilt. Most moderately use faith for different purposes... I know I do.

...most importantly, you and I both have to have that faith in ourselves. If we didn't, well, we wouldn't even be posting messages here today.

I never speak about my depression, but I probably should...

[shadowknows69]

33. +1

[Lorien]

57. I'm so sorry laughingliberal. I hope that things turn around for you soon

I'm in pretty much the same boat-except without a husband. Fibromyalgia since 1986 that has gotten worse lately. It's the numbness that I find to be the most difficult. I wish that we both could get the treatment we require to really make a difference, as we should have been able to all along!

[laughingliberal]

68. Oh, thank you. It helps to know there are those who understand

late 80's is about the time my symptoms began to show up in earnest, also. Was able to force myself out the door to keep going for a long time. Before we lost our insurance I saw my doctor and could not quit crying about how I had been dealing with it all these years and now could not make myself keep going. She said, "Now it's cresting." Apparently, it gets worse. Mix it in with some lifelong depression and it just spirals out of control. I have driven myself to distraction trying to think of anywhere there might be to go for services. In desperation, I called the vet center today as my husband is a Viet Nam vet who has ptsd and refuses to ask for help which is somewhat typical. They were very encouraging, got me numbers and told me I could come in for help even if he does not want to. So, a little light. We'll see. Will be offering up my prayers and thoughts for you inadequate though they may be.

[proudohioan]

65. My prayers are with you, and I'm Agnostic as well.

I know how you feel; I have been unable to obtain any kind of sustainable employment in this recent economy. Like you, I have ALWAYS bounced back, but here in the last 6 months, I have been totally unable to do it. I'm now jobless and unable to cope with the smallest of things. That's the part of depression that most people don't understand. This economy has totally kicked whole lot of people's asses, that's for sure. I feel for you and good to know that others are in the same boat (not that it's good to be in the boat that's sinking....)

Best of luck to you and your husband.

Peace:-) and prosperity in 2010

[laughingliberal]

69. Ah, and I will offer thoughts and prayers for you, as well

As bad as it sounds, the saving grace in all of this is to know that we have not been singled out by the invisible hand of the universe for this. We shall all offer thoughts and prayers for each other and hope we shall capture the attention of whatever deity there might be even if that should just be a space within that still has one more flash of resiliency to emerge when the timing is right.

What have we got to lose, huh?

Hugs and best wishes to you and yours :grouphug:

[Lorien]

56. But will mental health care be covered in the HCR bill?

Probably not. I've suffered from severe depression since about age 7 and I often wonder where I would be with my life if I hadn't had it. I've accomplished a fair amount, but not the things that really would have meant something to me. Think of the productivity that our country has lost because we don't treat mental illness like illnesses that effect other organs of the body!

[hunter]

58. Very helpful post...

...thanks.

My grandfather was a very brilliant man, enough so that he could hold a job as an accomplished aerospace engineer in spite of his severe depression and eccentricities, but most of the time he wasn't really functional or happy especially in his home life..

If not for modern meds, therapy, family, and friends, I would be some kind of wandering homeless person. I've been in that state, it scares me, and I never want to be there again.

I'm not going anywhere near Tylenol, however... I'm already sensitized to ibuprofen and other NSAIDs -- I can't take them for long before my stomach bleeds even though they really help for my joint pains. I'm not about to put my liver in a similar precarious state taking Tylenol. Some of the other meds I've taken over the years (not to mention alcohol at times) have probably already pissed off my liver. My liver seems to be happy now, and the latest consensus is that my coffee drinking isn't a bad thing.

[shadowknows69]

14. Spot on.

It's hard to get people who don't suffer to get their heads around that. My depression causes me real physical trauma. I had an episode, documented here on DU actually because I thought I was going to die soon, where I couldn't swallow anything for like three days. Eventually even water. As soon as I started on anti-anxiety meds it cleared up. Totally stress induced.

[fascisthunter]

26. oh yes... I KNOW what you mean

Sounds like you had multiple panic attacks, along with anxiety... scary stuff. I have had plenty myself, but fortunately, I am doing pretty well now. Hasn't always been the case for me, trust me on this.

[mdmc]

35. double that with poor sleep and it is even worse

thanks for checking in ..

[fascisthunter]

39. oh man... the insomnia is a killer

that is one thing I didn't mention... I was being very general with "lack of sleep".

[alfredo]

40. The brain is connected to the body. You can't separate them.

Think of stress. You feel it all over, it isn't just something in your head.

[fascisthunter]

44. .

[mwooldri]

63. Depression is just another illness, like diabetes or arthritis.

It can totally debilitate you and completely unfunctional. As can any major mood disorder.

[mzmolly]

15. Fascinating. My apologies MDMC I accidentally unrec'd vs. rec'd. If someone would correct

my error by giving this thread a REC, I'd appreciate it.

[mike_c]

19. happy to oblige....

:hi:

[mzmolly]

23. Thanks Mike!

:hi:

[mdmc]

45. YOU LIE

(alla Joe Wilson)

Happy holidays my friend!

[mzmolly]

50. I do!

:P

Happy Holidays MCMC :pals:

[meow2u3]

16. Yeah, right! Take Tylenol and get your sanity back?

That's insane in itself! :wtf:

[mdmc]

37. Mental illness causes physical pain

"tylenol" helps reduce this physically painful symptom, thereby helping the patient to better manage their mental health symptoms.

Mental health symptoms (isolation, anger, depression, confusion, poor judgment, paranoia) increase with physical pain. Physical pain makes these mental health symptoms worse (just like you might have less patience and motivation if you had a serious headache or fever).

Makes sense now my friend?

[old mark]

17. I get a sense of well being when I take aspirin....it even helps me sleep. nt

[DLnyc]

18. Kind of hard on the liver though, I think

[tavalon]

21. Please understand people - more is not better

Acetaminophen (Tylenol) really can harm your liver. 4000 mg a day is supposed to be the absolute max and I don't think that's okay for chronic use. I'm not even sure if there have been any studies looking at chronic use. Just be careful out there.

[iamthebandfanman]

24. as someone whos taken entirely to much tylenol over my short life

and also suffer from anxiety and depression...

this isnt true.


if it were, id be the calmest and happiest mofo in all the land.

my mother started shoving tylenol down my throat at an early age ...
infact i was taking three of them at a time (extra strength) when i was only 9/10 years old

[Kolesar]

41. Consider a real medication

+1 for Paxil.

[mdmc]

42. The pain releif only benefits MH problems that cause physical pain

Pain relief does reduce depression and anxiety, but the causes of those symptoms are not due to pain. They generally are causing the pain.
It is one tool that might assist with reducing overall MH symptoms.

[dipsydoodle]

27. I had one of those

but the wheels fell off.

[kestrel91316]

29. I am dating myself when I tell this curious tale:

When Tylenol (acetaminophen) was a new OTC many many years ago when I was a freshman in college (1974) I took it for the first time, as an alternative to aspirin. I swore at that time that it made me feel kind of "funny" in a hard to describe way, and I am not one to complain if meds make me feel a little odd. I don't remember exactly what it was that made me remark about it, lol, but I remember being puzzled and a bit disturbed. So it's apparently not JUST a pain-reliever, and now I don't have to think it was all in my imagination.

It was noticeable enough that I have never taken it since.

[silverweb]

46. Very interesting.

Especially the part about the areas of brain activity with/without acetaminophen.

The dose of 1000 mg a day is not at all excessive, as the maximum dosage is 4000 mg per 24 hours, so this should be safe for most people. I hope more studies are forthcoming, as this could be such a blessing for many.

[Are_grits_groceries]

48. This will end well.

People who are depressed will now be told to smile, pray, exercise, get more sunshine and now take acetomeniphen. If a combination of those don't work, then it will be all their fault.

I have had serious depressiona and anxiety for years. I have tried all of the above in various combinations. They didn't work for me. Believe me! If they did, I would run while praying during all sunlight and take Tylenol when finished every moment I could. I am not joking because it's that horrible.

I don't doubt that there is some relief for some people by taking acetomeniphen. Everybody is different. However, touting it as a new cure-all isn't going to help. It will be used by all those opposed to any other drugs as a FACT that it will stop the agony. Tom Cruise will be delirious with happiness.

I hate how these studies are twisted.

[silverweb]

61. I checked.

There's no mention whatsoever of it being a "cure all" anywhere in this piece. In fact, the opposite is true:

“This research has the potential to change how scientists and laypersons understand physical and social pain.

“Social pain, such as chronic loneliness, damages health as much as smoking and obesity. We hope our findings can pave the way for interventions designed to reduce the pain of social rejection." (emphasis mine)

I'm very sorry for your suffering. If anything has the potential to help doctors understand the dynamics of the mind-body link and ways to mitigate physical/psychological pain, however, it deserves hopeful consideration rather than cynicism.

[L0oniX]

52. Watch the price skyrocket.

[katkat]

55. here's a clue, when youre in pain, you get grouchy. n/t

[aquart]

59. Aspirin and you keep your liver and kidneys.

Besides, I'm allergic to tylenol.

[waronbanks]

60. I experienced this first hand

I have had a history of depression that needed anti-depressants to keep under control.I had been off of them for a year or so and could tell it was getting time to go back on them...it was turning to winter and thats when it really kicks in. Before I visited my doctor I came down with a nasty flu which was accompanied but a high fever. So for 4 days I took acetaminophen round the clock to keep my fever under control. Once the flu had run its course I noticed something else...my symptoms of depression were gone! Completely gone and suddenly I felt "clear" and positive about life.

I was telling everyone that either it was the acetaminophen or the fever itself but something completely wiped out my depression and it stayed that way for years. I even suggested to my sister who is a licensed psychologist that she should explore this...what was it that cleared me up so fast and so completely?

Might not work for everyone but it sure cleared my symptoms up.

[Johnny ramone]

62. K&R

Thanks for the article.

[daleo]

64. Tylenol gives me vivid dreams

I think it does have some substantial effect on the mind besides pain relief. I usually go with aspirin for just this reason.

[Dappleganger]

66. Everyone reacts differently to medication.

Also remember that depression has many causes as well. I know that when I'm stress that at night I tend to grind my teeth and clench the jaw, resulting in TMJ. Tylenol does help to relieve that pain (which also results in headaches).

However, it won't touch issues dealing with anxiety which is too bad.

[HuckleB]

67. It makes sense to me.

At least insofar as I am in a better mood, when I am not achy. Anecdotally, we sometimes gave our toddler a bit of acetaminophen before a chaotic activity, when he seemed a bit on edge, and to our placebo-convinced minds, he always did better. Who knows?

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

72. Evening kick.

It got put into the Health section at some point. I hope it still shows on Greatest.

The thread was so interesting to read.

[cutecub00]

73. acupuncuture for mental health

Treatment with acupuncture and Chinese herbs directs the practitioner to correct the pathologies caused by a hot liver, which in Chinese medicine are named Liver Yang rising, Heart Blood deficiency with Fire, or Phlegm misting the heart. In depression or mental illness, multiple pathologies are often presented. Conversely, unhealthy organs will also manifest through unhealthy emotions, illness or disease.