You might want to think twice before taking Tylenol

[CpnCrunch]

Tylenol and other paracetamol painkillers may hinder the brain's error-correction mechanisms:

http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/20160308231517.shtml

Although this is just one study, we already know that acetaminophen affects the endocannabinoid system of the brain (which is involved in motivation and reward processing). Acetaminophen breaks down to AM404, which is a cannabinoid reuptake inhibitor. Also, other studies have shown that acetaminophen reduces social pain/anxiety.

Studies on mice show that increasing cannabinoids in the brain modulates food gathering behaviour. Normally when the mice aren't given food, their dopamine levels drop, which then prompts them to look for food. Artificially increasing the cannabinoid levels in their brains prevents this dopamine drop, and prevents them looking for food.

What seems to be happening is that upping your brain's cannabinoid levels basically makes you feel content with a shitty situation and be less likely to notice errors.

[AuxBatOn]

Between flying with a headache and having this, I'll take the reduced error detection... I never found any effect of flying after taking tylenol. In fact, I find I perform better than normal.

[CpnCrunch]

Between flying with a headache and having this, I'll take the reduced error detection... I never found any effect of flying after taking tylenol. In fact, I find I perform better than normal.

Do other painkillers work for headaches?

I don't think I've ever taken paracetamol except as a child, so I don't have any experience of the effects myself. I just thought it was interesting.

[crazyaviator]

I find I perform better than normal.

basically makes you feel content with a shitty situation and be less likely to notice errors.

You must be affected then lol

[CpnCrunch]

It would be an interesting experiment to compare performance in a simulator with maximum dose Tylenol vs placebo.

[sstocker31]

After listening to those FA's drone on about the catfight going on in the back, tylenol is needed....

[letsfly]

Anyone who feels they can successfully perform a commercial standard steep turn, try it after taking an effective dose of Tylenol. The results may surprise you.

[AuxBatOn]

How should the resulys surprise us?

[photofly]

increasing the cannabinoid levels in their brains prevents this dopamine drop, and prevents them looking for food.

You'd think they might get the munchies...

[CpnCrunch]

increasing the cannabinoid levels in their brains prevents this dopamine drop, and prevents them looking for food.

You'd think they might get the munchies...

Yes, it does actually. In experiments on mice it increases appetite while reducing normal food-seeking behaviour. So basically it makes you hungry but too lazy to do much about it.

[switchflicker]

Like taking a mixture of Spanish Fly and Tranquilizer. You go looking for it and when you find some, you're too lazy to do anything about it.

[photofly]

Hence the evolutionary imperative to develop a way to send out for chocolate and Doritos.

[Meatservo]

Like taking a mixture of Spanish Fly and Tranquilizer. You go looking for it and when you find some, you're too lazy to do anything about it.

Geez, beer does a good enough job for me.

How should the resulys surprise us?

I think that the lowly "steep turn" exercise would be ideal for testing a person's capacity for accepting what is happening versus actively trying to do something about it. Many times when evaluating/training brand-new "commercial" pilots at my company, when asked to do a steep turn, I see the kids get halfway through the turn, start to lose altitude, make a perfunctory effort to correct, and then just sit there watching it get worse while simultaneously hoping it will get better on its own. It's ridiculous, yet such ubiquitous behaviour that I am forced to conclude it must be attributable in part to some basic characteristic of human nature. If a substance were to increase our tendency to passively accept the status-quo as inevitable, it would surely manifest itself under these conditions.

I think the steep-turn suggestion is an excellent one.

[switchflicker]

Thank you Meatservo. I was trying to understand how the example of a Steep Turn specifically was relevant here. It is. I recall evaluating steep turns also and thinking to myself 'And you're surprised that it descended/slowed/climbed/speeded?' Everyone is a passenger!! Would someone please do SOMETHNING!!

[CID]

As usual, the alarmist story is biased. There seems to be no mention of how pilots perform when they have an untreated headache. I have a feeling that if a headache will affect your cognitive skills much more seriously than Tylenol.

[CpnCrunch]

As usual, the alarmist story is biased. There seems to be no mention of how pilots perform when they have an untreated headache.

The story itself doesn't even mention pilots. I just posted it here because Tylenol is perfectly legal to take as a pilot even though we know for certain that it screws around with the cannabinoid system in the brain.

I have a feeling that if a headache will affect your cognitive skills much more seriously than Tylenol.

Agreed. However you have the option of taking aspirin or caffeine instead. Aspirin doesn't appear to have any potential negative cognitive effects as far as I can tell.

[yvesg]

Acetaminophen has never worked for me... only aspirin does.

Yves

[DSoup]

How should the resulys surprise us?

blah blah not prescribed by flt surg blah blah.

I wonder if flt surgs won't approve it in the near future?

[bandaid]

Pain medication works in different ways. Some go directly to the brain to tell the brain to numb the pain and some are attracted to a chemical released by the body called protaglandin which is produced in the area of the pain. Tylenol metabolises in the liver so isn't a great drug to take for a hangover as your liver is still hic upping from the night before.

[Meatservo]

Pain medication works in different ways. Some go directly to the brain to tell the brain to numb the pain and some are attracted to a chemical released by the body called protaglandin which is produced in the area of the pain. Tylenol metabolises in the liver so isn't a great drug to take for a hangover as your liver is still hic upping from the night before.

..and Ibuprofen, which is what I use, acts by inhibiting swelling. And it also chews up the lining of your stomach and intestines and makes you shit blood if you take 'em six at a time, which is the only known cure for "Otter Back". Fortunately that particular disease has been nearly wiped out by modern science. And what I mean by "modern science" is the MCPL and "cadet" programs that allow young people to bypass the "learning to fly" and "work" stages.

Well I was scared when I first saw that bright, arterial blood. Almost as scared as I was by things like "tailwheels", "floats", "weather" and "decisions".

-What is your point, "Meatservo"?

I'm not sure, I've been drinking... also an excellent painkiller. Especially for the pain in my heart whenever I visit "AvCanada" and see what a bunch of whiny c**ts my brother aviators have become.

*burp*