Pain Medication
| Generic Fioricet (Butalbital) | 40mg | 30 Tabs | $50 | Generic Fioricet |
| Generic Fioricet (Butalbital) | 40mg | 60 Tabs | $60 | Generic Fioricet |
| Generic Fioricet (Butalbital) | 40mg | 90 Tabs | $65 | Generic Fioricet |
| Tramadol | 50mg | 30 (Tabs) | $54 | Tramadol |
| Tramadol | 50mg | 90 (Tabs) | $70 | Tramadol |
| Tramadol | 50mg | 180 (Tabs) | $100 | Tramadol |
| Brand Fioricet | 40mg | 30 Tabs | $85 | Fioricet |
| Brand Fioricet | 40mg | 60 Tabs | $129 | Fioricet |
| Brand Fioricet | 40mg | 90 Tabs | $159 | Fioricet |
| Generic Soma (carisoprodol) | 350mg | 30 Tabs | $53 | Generic Soma |
| Generic Soma (carisoprodol) | 350mg | 60 Tabs | $59 | Generic Soma |
| Generic Soma (carisoprodol) | 350mg | 90 Tabs | $65 | Generic Soma |
| Watson Brand Soma | 350mg | 30 Tabs | $55 | Soma |
| Watson Brand Soma | 350mg | 60 Tabs | $65 | Soma |
| Watson Brand Soma | 350mg | 90 Tabs | $75 | Soma |
Pain medicines are also called analgesics. Every type of pain medicine has benefits and risks. Specific types of pain may respond better to one kind of medication than to another kind. What takes away your pain might not work for someone else.
OVER-THE-COUNTER PAIN MEDICINES
Over-the-counter (OTC) medications are good for many types of pain. OTC medicines include:
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Acetaminophen is a non-aspirin pain reliever. It can be used to lower a fever and soothe headaches and other common aches and pains. However, acetaminophen does not reduce swelling (inflammation). This medicine is easier on the stomach than other pain medications, and it is safer for children. It can, however, be harmful to the liver if you take more than the recommended dose. See: Acetaminophen overdose
NSAIDs include aspirin, naproxen, ibuprofen, and several others that require a prescription. These medicines relieve pain, but they also reduce inflammation caused by injury, arthritis, or fever. NSAIDs work by reducing the production of hormone-like substances called prostaglandins, which cause pain.
DO NOT give aspirin to children. Reye syndrome is associated with the use of aspirin to treat children with viral infections, such as chicken pox or the flu.
If you have high blood pressure, kidney disease, or a history of gastrointestinal bleeding, you should talk to your health care provider before using any over-the-counter NSAID.
PRESCRIPTION PAIN MEDICINES
Prescription medications may be needed for other types of pain. COX-2 inhibitors are a type of prescription painkiller that block an inflammation-promoting substance called COX-2. This class of drugs was initially believed to work as well as traditional NSAIDs, but with fewer stomach side effects. However, numerous reports of heart attacks and stroke have prompted the FDA to re-evaluate the risks and benefits of the COX-2s. Patients should ask their doctor whether a COX-2 drug is appropriate and safe for them.
Narcotic painkillers are very strong, potentially habit-forming medicines used to treat severe pain. They include oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, and codeine.
Talk to your doctor if your pain lasts longer than a few days, if over-the-counter pain medications do not relieve your pain, or if other symptoms develop. A pain specialist may be needed to help manage long-term pain.
ALTERNATIVES TO PAIN MEDICINE
You might ask your doctor about alternatives to pain medicines, which include:
- Heat
- Ice
- Massage
- Rest
- Biofeedback
- Relaxation techniques
Alternative Names
Medications for pain; Drugs for pain; Analgesics
References
Max MB. Pain. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 28.
Both acetaminophen and NSAIDs reduce fever and relieve pain caused by muscle aches and stiffness, but only NSAIDs can also reduce inflammation (swelling and irritation). Acetaminophen and NSAIDs also work differently. NSAIDs relieve pain by reducing the production of prostaglandins, which are hormone-like substances that cause pain. Acetaminophen works on the parts of the brain that receive the "pain messages." NSAIDs are also available in a prescription strength that can be prescribed by your physician.
Topical pain relievers are also available without a doctor's prescription. These products include creams, lotions, or sprays that are applied to the skin in order to relieve pain from sore muscles and arthritis. Some examples of topical pain relievers include Aspercreme, Ben-Gay, Icy Hot and Capzasin-P. Corticosteroid creams are also available.
Medicines can often help control chronic pain. Many different drugs, both prescription and nonprescription, are used to treat chronic pain. All these medicines can cause side effects and should be taken exactly as they are prescribed. In some cases, it may take several weeks before medicines work to reduce pain. It is important to let your health professional know all medicines you are taking (including herbal and other complementary medicines) to avoid dangerous drug interactions.
Medicines used for pain control include short- and long-acting opioid medications, non-opioid pain medications, muscle relaxants, antidepressants, and anticonvulsant medications. Although not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for pain control, antidepressants and anticonvulsant medications do have pain-relieving properties, especially in patients with pain emanating from the nervous system (i.e., neuropathic pain). These antidepressant and anticonvulsant medications are called adjuvant medications.
Non-opioid pain relieving medications include acetaminophen and the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs), such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Opioid pain medications are either short or long acting. For constant pain, long-acting opioids are a better choice. Sometimes other medications, such as steroids, anti-hypertensive medications, oral local anesthetics, and others, are used for pain control.
The WHO guidelines suggest steps for pain control. For mild pain, the guidelines suggest using non-opioid pain relievers with or without an adjuvant medication (that is, medications that do have pain relieving properties not approved by the FDA for pain control). If pain persists, the guidelines suggest adding a mild opioid to the above therapy. If pain still persists after the addition of mild opioids, the guidelines suggest going to a strong opioid.
The WHO guidelines group cancer-related pain by severity into mild, moderate, and severe pain and suggest matching the strength of pain medications to the severity of the pain complaint of the patient.
The WHO suggests non-opioid medications such as the NSAIDs and adjuvant medications (antidepressants and/or anticonvulsant medications) for mild to moderate cancer pain and weak to moderate strength opioids such as acetaminophen with codeine and hydrocodone (such as Vicodin, Lortab, or Norco) in combination with non-opioid and adjuvant medications for moderately severe cancer pain.
Potent opioids such as morphine, together with non-opioids and adjuvant medications, are used for strong and severe cancer-related pain. Approximately 50% to 80% of patients dying of cancer, depending on the type of pain, should have their pain well controlled using these WHO guidelines.
We have list the pain medication here. Because information about pain medications is constantly changing, the following list of medications is by no means comprehensive. Never use this information to treat yourself. It is no substitute for the experience and knowledge of your physician.
NonSteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs):
-
Aspirin (Ecotrin, ASA)
-
Diclofenac (Voltaren)
- Diflunisal (Dolobid)
- Celecoxib (Celebrex – a cox-2 inhibitor)
- Etodolac (Lodine)
- Ibuprofin (Advil, Nuprin, Motrin, etc.)
- Indomethacin (Indocin)
- Ketorolac (Toradol (only use for up to five days.))
- Oxaprozin (Daypro)
- Piroxicam (Feldene)
- Sulindac (Clinoril)
Opioid-Like Drugs (Narcotics):
- Butorphanol Tartrate (Stadol)
- Nalbuphine (Nubain)
- Pentazocine Lactate (Talwin) (a category of drugs called opioid agonist-antagonists. They probably should not ever be used.)
- Codeine Phosphate (Codeine)
- Fentanyl Citrate (Fentanyl)
- Hydromorphone (Dilaudid)
- Morphine Sulfate (MS Contin, Noxamol)
- Oxycodone (Oxyir, Roxicodone, Oxycontin, Percocet)
- Buprenorphine (Subutex, Suboxone)
- Propoxyphene Napsylate (Darvon ¨C N)
- Methodone
- Hydrocodone (Vicodin)
Opioid ¨C Containing Combination Drugs:
- Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen (Anexsia)
- Propoxyphene/APAP (Darvocet)
- Butalbital/ASA/Caffiene/Codiene (Fiorinal with Codeine)
- Butalbital/APAP/Caffiene/Codiene (Fioricet with Codeine)
- Hydrocodne/Acetaminophen (Lortab)
- Hydrocodone/APAP (Norco)
- Oxycodone/Aspirin (Percodan)
- Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen (Lorcet)
- Carisoprodol plus Codeine (Soma with Codeine)
- Oxycodone/Acetaminophen (Tylox)
- Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen (Vicodin)
- Hydrocodone/Ibuprofen (Vicoprofen)
Other Analgesics:
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol, Panadol, Tempra, etc.)
- Tramadol (Ultram)
Anesthetics/Sedatives:
- Fentanyl Citrate (Fentanyl)
- Ketamine (Ketalar)
- Diphenhydramine (Sufentanil, Sleepinal)
Local Anesthetics:
- Bupivacaine (Marcaine, Bupivac)
- Lidocaine (Xylocaine)
- Mepivacaine (Carbocain)
Anxiolytics/Hypnotics (used when anxiety disorders and/or sleep disturbance is present):
- Lorazepam (Ativan)
- Temazepam (Restoril)
- Alprazolam (Xanax)
- Midazolam Hydrochloride (Versed)
- Oxzaepam (Serax)
- Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride (Benadryl)
- Chlordiazepoxide (Librium)
- Clonazepam (Klonopin)
- Clorazepate Dispotassium (Tranxene)
- Flurazepam (Dalmane)
- Buspirone (Buspar)
- Zolpidem (Ambien)
- Zaleplon (Sonata)
- Eszopiclone (Lunesta)
Anti-epileptics (Anticonvulsants):
- Carbamazepine (Tegretol)
- Clonazepam (Klonopin)
- Topiramate (Topomax)
- Gabapentin (Neurontin)
- Phenytoin (Dilantin)
- Valproic Acid (Depakene/Depakote)
- Tiagabine (Gabitril)
- Pregabalin (Lyrica)
- Diazepam (Valium)
- Lamotrigine (Lamictal)
- Levetiracetam (Keppsa)
- Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal)
Pregabalin is related to gabapentin and is approved to treat neuropathic pain, specifically diabetic peripheral neuropathy and postherpetic neuralgia. It is currently under review by the FDA for the adjunctive treatment of partial seizures and may have potential for treating CRPS.
Anti-depressants:
- Fluoxentine Hydrochloride (Prozac)
- Paroxetine (Paxil)
- Sertraline Hydrochloride (Zoloft)
- Amitriptyline (Elavil)
- Desipramine (Norpramin)
- Venlafaxine (Effexor)
- Doxepin (Sinequan)
- Bupropion Hydrochloride (Wellbutrin)
- Nefazodone (Serzone)
- Trazadone (Desyrel)
Muscle Relaxants
- Baclofen (Lioresal)
- Carisoprodol (Soma)
- Methocarbamol (Robaxin)
- Tizanidine (Zanaflex)
- Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril)
- Dantrolene Sodium (Dantrium)
- Diazepam (Valium)
- Quinine Sulfate (Quinaam)
Trans-dermal Patches and Ointments May Contain:
- Catapres (Clonidine)
- Ketamine (Ketalar)
- Capsaicin (Zostrix)
- Fentanyl Citrate (Fentanyl – local anesthetic)
Differnet Pain use different medications, for more pain medication information, please go to pain medication directory
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