# Paracetamol > Paracetamol is a 2019 text-message exploitable image meme featuring illegible doctor's handwriting that reads as 'Paracetamol,' revived as absurdly over-edited TikTok slideshows in the 2023 Nothinglikeyallcore trend. Paracetamol is an exploitable meme based on a text message screenshot where someone asks a doctor to decipher their messy handwriting, and the answer turns out to be "Paracetamol," a common over-the-counter painkiller[1]. Originating on Twitter in 2019, the joke went through several copycat phases before exploding on TikTok in late 2023, where creators posted increasingly absurd and over-edited versions of the image in photo slideshows tied to the "Nothinglikeyallcore" trend[3]. ## Origin The first known version of the Paracetamol meme was posted by a Twitter / X user named @redgermz sometime before April 27, 2019. The original tweet read "Saw this on Facebook and sent it to my brother, who is a pharmacist" and showed a text message exchange that ended with the answer "Paracetamol"[2]. The account has since been deleted, but the earliest known repost came from the Facebook page The Humorists on April 27, 2019, which picked up roughly 17,000 reactions over the following four years[2]. Paracetamol itself is one of the most commonly used medications worldwide, known as acetaminophen in the United States and sold under brand names like Tylenol and Panadol[3]. The drug's universal familiarity is part of the joke. After all the effort to decode the handwriting, the answer is the most boring prescription imaginable. - **Platform:** Twitter / X (original post), TikTok (viral spread) - **Creator:** @redgermz (original poster), @jaxsandy02 (TikTok slideshow pioneer) - **Date:** 2019 ## Overview The Paracetamol meme centers on a text conversation screenshot where someone sends a photo of a doctor's illegible handwriting and asks what it says. The answer, revealed after some back-and-forth, is simply "Paracetamol," one of the most basic and widely prescribed painkillers in the world[3]. The humor comes from the contrast between the completely unreadable scrawl and the mundane answer. What made the meme take off wasn't just the original joke but what TikTok creators did with it. Starting in September 2023, users began posting slideshows containing progressively more distorted, deep-fried, redrawn, and AI-manipulated versions of the original WhatsApp screenshot[2]. Each slide pushed the image further into visual absurdity while keeping the "Paracetamol" punchline intact. ## How It Spread Throughout 2019, copycat versions of the meme appeared across social media. An early WhatsApp-formatted version was posted by Instagram user @_pperawatpintarindonesiaa_, collecting over 400 likes[2]. In July 2021, the Facebook page Tintu-Mon posted another WhatsApp iteration that blew up with roughly 109,000 reactions in two years[2]. These WhatsApp-style versions would later become the raw material for the TikTok trend. The meme's second life began on September 8, 2023, when TikToker @jaxsandy02 posted a slideshow containing 12 increasingly edited versions of the Paracetamol screenshot. Over two months, the video pulled in roughly 1.4 million plays and 219,100 likes[2]. By October 2023, the meme had merged with the growing "Nothinglikeyallcore" niche on TikTok, visible through the #nothinglikeyallcore hashtag[2]. Creators paired their Paracetamol slideshows with Hood Irony audio, primarily sounds from TikToker @illegalbugtrader[2]. On October 25th, @feberiner posted an "I'm Nothing Like Y'all" slideshow featuring Paracetamol that hit roughly 2 million plays and 357,900 likes in a single week[2]. Five days later, @soomlarr uploaded a version with what appeared to be an AI-generated Paracetamol image, reaching 517,200 plays and 80,800 likes in just two days[2]. Video iterations also surfaced during this period, expanding the meme beyond its slideshow format[2]. The whole trend operated on a principle of creative one-upmanship: each creator tried to produce a more unhinged, visually deranged version of the same basic Paracetamol joke. ## How to Use The Paracetamol meme typically follows a progression format in slideshows: 1. Start with the original WhatsApp/text screenshot of the illegible doctor's handwriting and the "Paracetamol" reveal 2. Add increasingly distorted edits of the same image. Common techniques include deep-frying, color saturation, redrawing in different art styles, AI generation, and surreal visual layering 3. Each subsequent slide should be more absurd than the last 4. Pair the slideshow with Hood Irony audio or "I'm Nothing Like Y'all" sounds 5. Post with the #nothinglikeyallcore hashtag or similar tags ## Fun Facts - The original tweet referenced the poster's pharmacist brother, adding a layer of family humor to what became an international meme[2]. - Paracetamol is the 112th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with over 5 million prescriptions in 2023 alone[3]. - The drug was first synthesized in 1878, making it nearly 150 years old. The meme about its name is considerably younger[3]. - The meme crossed at least three platforms (Twitter, Facebook/Instagram, TikTok) and two distinct viral waves (2019-2021 text screenshots, 2023 slideshow era) before reaching peak popularity[2]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the Paracetamol meme? The Paracetamol meme is based on a text message screenshot where someone asks a doctor to read their illegible handwriting, and the answer is simply "Paracetamol," a common painkiller[2]. It went viral on TikTok in late 2023 through increasingly absurd edited versions posted in photo slideshows[2]. ### Where did the Paracetamol meme come from? The original was posted by Twitter user @redgermz sometime before April 27, 2019. The earliest known repost was by the Facebook page The Humorists on the same date[2]. ### What does the Paracetamol meme mean? It plays on the universal experience of doctors having terrible handwriting. The punchline is that after all the mystery, the prescription just says "Paracetamol," one of the most basic medications available[3][2]. ### How do you use the Paracetamol meme? Most commonly, creators post slideshows with progressively more distorted and edited versions of the original screenshot, paired with Hood Irony audio on TikTok[2]. ### Is the Paracetamol meme still popular? The meme peaked in October-November 2023 during the Nothinglikeyallcore trend on TikTok, with individual posts reaching millions of views[2]. Activity has slowed since its late 2023 peak. ### What is Nothinglikeyallcore? Nothinglikeyallcore is a TikTok niche where creators compile obscure or hyper-edited memes into slideshows to show off their unconventional taste. The Paracetamol meme became a core part of this trend in late 2023[2]. ### What is paracetamol the drug? Paracetamol (known as acetaminophen in the US) is an over-the-counter pain reliever and fever reducer, sold under brand names like Tylenol and Panadol. It is one of the most widely used medications in the world[3]. ### Who started the Paracetamol TikTok trend? The first known TikTok slideshow was posted by @jaxsandy02 on September 8, 2023, featuring 12 edited versions of the meme. It earned roughly 1.4 million plays[2]. ### What role did Hood Irony play in the Paracetamol meme? Hood Irony audio, primarily from TikToker @illegalbugtrader, was the default soundtrack for Paracetamol slideshows. The audio style matched the absurdist, over-edited visual approach[2]. ## References 1. [Paracetamol]() 2. [Paracetamol - Urban Dictionary]() 3. [Paracetamol - Know Your Meme]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/paracetamol Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library