By Tarek Salame
Paracetamol isn鈥檛 just a fever remedy in Spain, it鈥檚 almost a reflex. Whether it鈥檚 stocked in a school bag, offered at the pharmacy, or handed out at the first sign of discomfort, it鈥檚 long been one of the most trusted medicines in the country. Few people think twice when swallowing one, and it鈥檚 a mild, essential and workable alternative, but new research is on settling that certainty. A study from the United States suggests something unexpected: Paracetamol not only reduces pain but also emotional response. Not numbness in the dramatic sense, but a subtle shift in how you feel and react.
In Spain, the findings have caught the attention of both the public and professionals. Not because there鈥檚 an immediate health threat, but because they raise more human concern. If a drug millions take every week, and if it alters their emotions even slightly, what else might it be softening without us noticing?
Spain鈥檚 go-to pill
In Spain, paracetamol is everywhere. According to data from the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products, over 43 million boxes of paracetamol-based products were sold in 2019, making it the most widely used analgesic and antipyretic in the country.
It鈥檚 prescribed for everything from post-operative pain to childhood fever. Unlike ibuprofen or aspirin, which come with stomach or cardiovascular warnings, paracetamol has held the reputation of being the gentle option that鈥檚 safe for kids, suitable during pregnancy and low risk for the elderly when used correctly.
It鈥檚 also listed on the World Health Organisation鈥檚 essential medicines list, whose trustworthiness has never really been questioned until now.
The study that changed the conversation
In 2020, researchers at Ohio State University published a study which included a double-blind trial with 167 participants, along with a few pills and a handful of emotional tests. But the results were quietly startling.
The participants were given 1,000 mg of paracetamol, a standard adult dose, while the others received a placebo.
After 1 hour, they were shown a series of emotionally evocative images and asked to rate how they felt.
The ones who took paracetamol consistently reported lower emotional responses both to disturbing and pleasant images.
The average emotional rating for participants taking paracetamol was 5.85, on a scale of 1 to 10, compared to 6.75 for those taking the placebo. This wasn鈥檛 the first time that something deeper was at play.
Earlier work by the same team had already suggested that paracetamol may reduce both empathy and risk perception.
Studies using brain imaging have shown that paracetamol effects are observed in the anterior insula.
A region involved in both pain perception and emotional awareness.
When that area is less active, people may still recognise emotional cues, but feel them less intensely. That applies to joy, frustration, fear, and empathy.
In one experiment, participants who took paracetamol reported experiencing less distress when reading about someone else鈥檚 misfortune. It鈥檚 like a soft filler that turns down the volume of internal responses without silencing them.
It is not stated that a single dose will change your personality, but with frequent use, especially among young people, these shifts will begin to matter as it leads to more frequent mood swings.
Spain鈥檚 reaction
Spain鈥檚 Agency for Medicines and Health Products has confirmed that it is reviewing internal National studies on paracetamol鈥檚 non-physical effects. For now, the guidance remains unchanged: use with caution, stay within dosage limits, and avoid long-term use without a prescription.
Many doctors recommend alternating between the two for certain conditions, such as high fever or inadequate surgical pain relief. However, mixing or overusing them without medical advice can increase their risk of side effects.
So choose ibuprofen when inflammation is present, and paracetamol only when fever or pain is isolated. Use the right tool for the symptom.
Spain鈥檚 Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) has not issued a warning, but has confirmed that it鈥檚 reviewing international studies on the non-physical effects of paracetamol.
But recent findings have invited more uncomfortable questions. Especially when it involves the dulling of emotional responses, especially with those who deal with chronic pain, it would be more welcome to use additional pills.
However, in everyday use, especially among those who reach for it at the first sign of tension or tiredness, that soft muting effect adds up. If a pill starts to blur the edges of those reactions even slightly, it鈥檚 worth knowing that sometimes all that matters most isn鈥檛 what the medicine fixes, but what changes while it does its job.