The Other Side of Relief: How Everyday Drugs May Be Rewiring Your Brain
I was recently listening to an interview with Tierona Low Dog, MD—an herbalist, integrative physician, and all-around badass. She casually mentioned a study showing that a single dose of acetaminophen (aka Tylenol) reduced empathy.
Wait, what?
I paused the episode. Rewound. Replayed.
Could something so common—so innocuous—really shift how we emotionally connect with others after just one dose?
The answer, it turns out, is yes.
I already knew that Tylenol could cause liver damage, and I’d seen studies suggesting it might act as an endocrine disruptor. But this? The idea that it could dull our empathy—our ability to feel for others—felt chilling.
That one comment sent me down a rabbit hole of research. If Tylenol can quietly numb empathy and blunt emotional response, what else are we not paying attention to? What other everyday drugs are subtly influencing the way we feel, process, and relate?
As a naturopathic doctor, I’ve always encouraged patients to be intentional with what they put into their bodies—be it food, supplements, or pharmaceuticals. But I realized there’s a missing conversation here:
It’s not just about side effects. It’s about subtle shifts in brain chemistry. Mood. Motivation. Memory. Empathy.
We often hear the term “side effect”—like it's something happening quietly in the background, off to the side, while the main drug does its job. But let’s be honest:
They're not “side” effects. They’re just effects.
Just because a shift in mood, memory, or motivation wasn’t the intent, doesn’t mean it’s not happening.
And here’s the kicker: sometimes those effects are known and simply dismissed—or worse, considered acceptable trade-offs. But often, they’re not even recognized until decades after the drug has been in widespread use.
Look at aspirin. It was prescribed for years—decades—before we understood its mechanism of action. It took even longer to fully acknowledge its impact on the stomach lining and risk of gastric bleeding. And yet, white willow bark, the plant it was modeled after, doesn’t cause those same GI effects.
So if a medication changes your empathy, your dreams, or your stress response, and no one told you about it... that doesn’t mean it isn’t real. It might just mean the research hasn’t caught up yet—or isn’t being widely discussed.
Let’s explore a few of the most common medications quietly shaping our brains...
PAIN RELIEF & ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES
Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
Used for: Pain relief and fever reduction
Brain-related effects: Dulls both emotional and physical pain, reduces empathy, and blunts emotional responses (positive and negative). Researchers found participants who took acetaminophen perceived others’ pain as less severe and showed less activation in areas of the brain responsible for emotional awareness and processing.
Peer-reviewed reference: Way, Baldwin M., et al., 2016
Why it matters: If you’re someone in a caregiving role or a profession that demands emotional attunement, regular Tylenol use could be subtly disconnecting you from your felt sense of empathy.
Alternatives: Anti-inflammatory diet, willow bark, turmeric, or topical arnica for localized pain relief.
Ibuprofen / NSAIDs (Advil, Motrin, Naproxen)
Used for: Pain, inflammation, menstrual cramps, headaches
Brain-related effects: May affect emotional processing differently between sexes. In one study, men who took ibuprofen felt more hurt by social rejection, while women felt less. It’s thought to modulate affect through inflammatory signaling pathways involved in mood.
Peer-reviewed reference: Karakurt & Silver, 2014
Why it matters: Pain relief is important—but if a medication influences how we experience rejection or belonging, it can shape our relationships in ways we don’t notice.
Alternatives: Reduce sugar and ultra-processed foods, try turmeric, omega-3s, ginger, boswellia, acupuncture.
Opioids (e.g., Norco, Oxycodone)
Used for: Moderate to severe pain
Brain-related effects: Hijack the brain’s reward system, dull pain and emotional responsiveness. Long-term use is associated with decreased gray matter in emotional and decision-making centers of the brain.
Peer-reviewed reference: Upadhyay et al., 2010
Why it matters: Opioids can flatten both pain and pleasure. Long-term use risks rewiring how we feel reward, empathy, and connection.
Alternatives: Acupuncture, craniosacral therapy, turmeric, and physical and emotional therapy.
ALLERGY & COLD/FLU MEDS
Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
Used for: Allergies, insomnia, motion sickness
Brain-related effects: As an anticholinergic, it blocks acetylcholine—a neurotransmitter critical for attention and memory. Chronic use is linked to cognitive decline and increased dementia risk, especially in older adults.
Peer-reviewed reference: Gray et al., 2015
Why it matters: Sleep and allergy relief are great, but not if they cost us long-term memory or clarity.
Alternatives: NAC, quercetin, stinging nettle, local raw honey for allergies; magnesium, passionflower, or skullcap for sleep.
Dextromethorphan (Robitussin, DMX)
Used for: Cough suppression
Brain-related effects: At high doses, acts on NMDA receptors and causes dissociation, hallucinations, and euphoria. Even at regular doses, may blunt cognitive flexibility and processing speed in sensitive individuals.
Peer-reviewed reference: Nguyen & Bramness, 2018
Why it matters: If you're sensitive to dissociation or brain fog, even low doses of cough suppressants may nudge you further out of clarity and into mental autopilot.
Alternatives: Honey, thyme tea, steam inhalation, marshmallow root, dark chocolate (yup, it’s been shown to be more effective than codeine)
Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed)
Used for: Nasal decongestion
Brain-related effects: As a sympathomimetic, it activates fight-or-flight responses. Common effects include increased heart rate, anxiety, insomnia, and overstimulation—especially in sensitive or neurodivergent individuals.
Peer-reviewed reference: Hughes et al., 2010
Why it matters: Supporting clear breathing shouldn't come at the cost of heightened anxiety or sleep disruption—especially for neurodivergent or sensitive folks.
Alternatives: Saline rinses, eucalyptus steam, nettle, NAC, quercetin, dairy-free diet
MOOD & MENTAL HEALTH
SSRIs (e.g., Lexapro, Prozac)
Used for: Depression, anxiety, OCD, panic disorders
Brain-related effects: Alter emotional processing by reducing sensitivity to negative stimuli. This can result in emotional flattening, reduced sexual desire, or blunted affect, even when depressive symptoms improve.
Peer-reviewed reference: Price et al., 2009
Why it matters: Emotional blunting can feel like relief in the short term—but over time, it may disconnect us from the full spectrum of our human experience.
Alternatives: Therapy, adaptogens, saffron, exercise, SAMe, inositol, or addressing gut health.
Benzodiazepines (e.g., Ativan, Xanax, Valium)
Used for: Anxiety, insomnia, panic attacks, seizures
Brain-related effects: Enhance GABA, which calms the brain—but also suppress memory formation and slow processing. Long-term use is linked with cognitive impairment and difficulty forming new memories.
Peer-reviewed reference: Barker et al., 2004
Why it matters: These medications can interrupt memory formation and slow your mental edge—even as they soothe anxiety in the moment.
Alternatives: Magnesium glycinate, GABA precursors, valerian, kava (short term), breathwork, somatic therapy, caso- and gliadomorphin free diets.
SLEEP AIDS
Zolpidem (Ambien)
Used for: Short-term treatment of insomnia
Brain-related effects: Acts on GABA-A receptors to produce sedative effects, but can cause sleepwalking, hallucinations, and amnesia. Users may perform complex behaviors like driving or cooking with no memory. Some experience next-day drowsiness, disorientation, or emotional blunting.
Peer-reviewed reference: Dang, A. et al., 2011
Why it matters: If you’re struggling with fatigue or memory issues, your sleep aid could be playing a bigger role than you think.
Alternatives: Magnesium, glycine, melatonin (low-dose), passionflower, skullcap, CBT-I, or sleep hygiene rituals.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The goal of this post isn’t to create fear—it’s to create awareness. The more we know about the substances we take into our bodies, the more empowered we are to make conscious, aligned choices.
Drugs can be helpful, even life-saving. But in many cases, they’re tools for symptom relief—not root-cause healing. They can mask discomfort without addressing why the discomfort is there in the first place.
That’s why I believe in a whole-body approach. One that asks deeper questions. One that honors the body’s signals rather than suppresses them. And one that considers alternatives that support—not override—our natural chemistry.
You don’t have to overhaul everything overnight. But maybe this post invites a pause. A breath. A curiosity about how the things we take every day might be shaping not just how we feel, but how we are.
Stay curious. Stay kind. Stay connected to your body.
If this opened up some new questions for you, I’d love to hear them. Drop a comment or schedule a session if you’re curious about alternatives tailored to your body and brain.
