People have been warned about a potential strange side effect after taking paracetamol.
According to scientists, the pain killer could be altering your perception of risk. The warming follows research from a team of scientists at Ohio State University in the United States, where it was found that people could be putting themselves at risk after taking the common, off-the-shelf medication.
The study, published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, compared the risk taking rate of those who took paracetamol compared to those given a placebo. And the results suggest that those who have taken the drug simply don't feel as scared afterwards, repots Birmingham Live.
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Neuroscientist Baldwin Way, co-author of the study, said: "Acetaminophen seems to make people feel less negative emotion when they consider taking risky activities - they just don't feel as scared. With nearly 25 per cent of the population in the US taking acetaminophen each week, reduced risk perceptions and increased risk-taking could have important effects on society."
"If you're risk-averse, you may pump a few times and then decide to cash out because you don't want the balloon to burst and lose your money. But for those who are on acetaminophen, as the balloon gets bigger, we believe they have less anxiety and less negative emotion about how big the balloon is getting and the possibility of it bursting." He continued.
Paracetamol is the most popular painkiller used by people throughout Scotland and the rest of the UK. Around 6.3 tonnes of the drug are sold throughout the UK every year - that works out to 70 pills per year per person.
It is recommended that an adult takes no more than 4 x 2, 500mg paracetamol tablets within a 24 hours period, with at least four hours between doses.
The NHS warns: "Do not take paracetamol with other medicines containing paracetamol because there is a risk of overdose. Paracetamol is safe to take during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, at recommended doses.
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