Headaches and heartaches. Broken bones and broken spirits. Hurting bodies and hurt feelings. We often use the same words to describe physical and mental pain. Over-the-counter pain relieving drugs have long been used to alleviate physical pain, while a host of other medications have been employed in the treatment of depression and anxiety. But is it possible that a common painkiller could serve double duty, easing not just the physical pains of sore joints and headaches, but also the pain of social rejection?

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.More »

In patients with cirrhosis, acetaminophen use at doses lower than those recommended is not associated with acute hepatic decompensation, even in patients with recent alcohol ingestion, according to a study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.More »

Washington DC: FDA advisors voted overwhelmingly in favor of a black-box warning and new restrictions on the use of acetaminophen, both in prescription and nonprescription products containing the analgesic/antipyretic. On the prescription side, advisors voted 20–17 in favor of a ban on opioid–acetaminophen combination products.More »