A recent study has revealed that a well-known pain medicine, acetaminophen, commonly used to treat headaches, might also lower blood pressure. This finding comes as a surprise since most of us know acetaminophen as a pain reliever, not something that can affect blood pressure.
What is Acetaminophen?
Acetaminophen, often found in over-the-counter products like Tylenol, is a widely used painkiller for headaches, fevers, and other minor aches. Most people take it in pill form. However, in hospitals, doctors sometimes give acetaminophen in a different way—directly into a vein. This is called intravenous (IV) acetaminophen.
Why Use Acetaminophen Intravenously?
There are several reasons why hospitals prefer using IV acetaminophen. It works faster than pills, which is important when doctors need quick results. By using an IV, doctors and nurses can control the amount of medicine given and how quickly it affects the patient. This method is especially useful for patients who are too sick to swallow pills.
The Surprising Effect on Blood Pressure
However, this faster method has a notable side effect: IV acetaminophen can cause a significant, though temporary, drop in blood pressure. This happens in many patients, both those with regular health issues and those who are critically ill.
In fact, about six out of ten very sick patients experience this sudden drop in blood pressure. In some cases, about one-third of them needed medical attention to stabilize their blood pressure.
Despite this, IV acetaminophen is still widely used in hospitals. It is considered a reliable and stable drug, and many healthcare providers are aware of this side effect. But the question remains: why does it cause blood pressure to drop when given intravenously?
What the Study Found
To explore this issue, a research team led by Thomas Qvistgaard Jepps from the University of Copenhagen decided to look into how acetaminophen affects blood pressure.
The researchers discovered that when acetaminophen is given through an IV, it bypasses the liver, where the body usually processes medications when taken by mouth. Because of this, the body handles the drug differently, producing chemicals that wouldn’t form if it were taken in pill form.
These chemicals seem to interact with potassium channels in the blood vessels. Potassium channels help control how blood vessels tighten or relax, which in turn affects blood pressure.
When these channels are affected by the chemicals produced by IV acetaminophen, blood vessels relax too much, causing blood pressure to drop.
The researchers tested their theory further by using other drugs to block these potassium channels. In their tests with rats, they found that blocking these channels reduced the drop in blood pressure caused by IV acetaminophen.
What Does This Mean for You?
For most people, this finding doesn’t mean they need to stop taking acetaminophen for headaches or other common pains.
As long as you follow the recommended dosage on the packaging, taking acetaminophen in pill form is safe. The study’s results are more relevant for patients in hospitals who receive the drug through an IV.
This study is especially timely given the current situation with COVID-19. Many critically ill patients are being treated with IV acetaminophen to manage pain and fever, and understanding this side effect can help healthcare workers manage patient care more effectively.
If you’re interested in managing blood pressure, there are plenty of studies to explore, including research on the best times to take blood pressure medication. Other findings suggest that beetroot juice and certain plant nutrients could help reduce high blood pressure as well.
This study was published in Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, offering new insights into how common medications might have unexpected effects on our health.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about unhealthy habits that could increase high blood pressure risk, and eating eggs in a healthy diet may reduce risks of diabetes, high blood pressure.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and results showing 12 foods that lower blood pressure.
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