Pain Relievers

Also called: Analgesics, Pain killers, Pain medicines

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Basics

Summary
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Diagnosis and Tests

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Related Issues
Specifics

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Summary

Pain relievers are medicines that reduce or relieve headaches, sore muscles, arthritis, or other aches and pains. There are many different pain medicines, and each one has advantages and risks. Some types of pain respond better to certain medicines than others. Each person may also have a slightly different response to a pain reliever.

Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines are good for many types of pain. There are two main types of OTC pain medicines: acetaminophen (Tylenol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Aspirin, naproxen (Aleve), and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) are examples of OTC NSAIDs.

If OTC medicines don't relieve your pain, your doctor may prescribe something stronger. Many NSAIDs are also available at higher prescription doses. The most powerful pain relievers are opioids. They are very effective, but they can sometimes have serious side effects. There is also a risk of addiction. Because of the risks, you must use them only under a doctor's supervision.

There are many things you can do to help ease pain. Pain relievers are just one part of a pain treatment plan.

Start Here

Chronic Pain Medicines (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Pain Relievers: Understanding Your OTC Options (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

Acetaminophen Level (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Salicylates Level (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

Don't Overuse Acetaminophen (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
Keeping Kidneys Safe: Smart Choices about Medicines (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Pain Control after Surgery: Pain Medicines (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Specifics

Chronic Pain Medicines (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Chronic Pain: Medication Decisions (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Cortisone Shots (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Nerve Blocks (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) (American College of Rheumatology) Also in Spanish
Prescription Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Medicines (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Safe Use, Storage, and Disposal of Opioid Drugs (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Support for People with Cancer: Cancer Pain Control (National Cancer Institute) - PDF

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Analgesics (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Narcotics (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

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Food and Drug Administration

Children

Accidental Exposures to Fentanyl Patches Continue to Be Deadly to Children (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
An Acetaminophen Overdose Is Serious and It Can Happen Easier Than You Might Think (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Women

Women and Pain Medicines (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

Acetaminophen dosing for children (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Ibuprofen dosing for children (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Over-the-counter pain relievers (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Pain medications - narcotics (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Taking narcotics for back pain (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish