Information on Pain Killers

Pain Killer Medication is also know as Analgesic Drugs, Pain relievers, Pain pills, Painkillers and Pain medications.

Analgesics like Pain Killer Medication are a class of drugs used to relieve pain. The pain relief induced by analgesics occurs either by blocking pain signals going to the brain or by interfering with the brain's interpretation of the signals, without producing anesthesia or loss of consciousness.
There are mainly two types of analgesics like Painkiller Medication, Non-narcotics and Narcotics:

Non-Narcotic Analgesics:

acetaminophen is the most usually used over-the-counter, non-narcotic analgesic. It is a well accepted pain-reliever because it is both effective for mild to moderate pain relief and relatively inexpensive. It must be emphasized though that the safety of acetaminophen is tied to proper use of the drug (use according to specific prescribing instructions). If acetaminophen is not used according to the directions on the label, serious side effects and possible fatal consequences can occur. For example, taking more than 4000 mg/day or using it long term can increase the risk of liver damage. The risk of liver damage with acetaminophen use is also increased by ingesting alcohol. It changes into metabolites which are eliminated from the body. By taking more than the recommended maximum daily dose of the painkiller acetaminophen, more toxic metabolites are produced than can be eliminated.

Narcotic painkillers:

There are two types of narcotic painkillers: Opiates and the Opioids (derivatives of opiates)
Opiates are the alkaloids found in opium (a white liquid extract of unripe seeds of the poppy plant).
Opioids are any medications which bind to opioid receptors in the central nervous system or gastrointestinal tract.

There are four broad categories of opioids:
1) Endogenous opioid peptides (produced in the body: endorphins, dynorphins, enkephalins)
2) Opium alkaloids (morphine, codeine, thebaine)
3) Semi-synthetic opioids contain Heroin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, dihydrocodeine, hydromorphone, oxymorphone, nicomorphine)
4) Fully synthetic opioids (pethidine or Demerol, methadone, fentanyl, propoxyphene, pentazocine, buprenorphine, butorphanol, tramadol, and more)

Opioids are used in medicine as strong analgesics or pain killer, for relief of severe or chronic pain. Interestingly, there is no upper limit for the dosage of opioids used to achieve pain relief, but the dose must be increased gradually to allow for the development of tolerance to adverse effects (for example, respiratory depression). Some people with intense pain get such high doses that the same dose would be fatal if taken by someone who was not suffering from pain.

There have been debates over the addictive potential of the painkiller opioids vs. the advantage of their analgesic properties for treating non-malignant chronic pain, such as chronic arthritis. Some experts believe opioids can be taken safely for years with minimal risk of addiction or toxic side effects. The enhanced quality of life which opioids may provide the patient must be considered.
It should be noted that some references include aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) in the class of analgesics or pain killer, because they have some analgesic properties. Anti-inflammatory effect mostly associated with aspirin and NSAID , as opposed to being solely analgesic.

There are three main groups of analgesic (or pain killer) drugs:

• Opioids

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

• Local anesthetics

blog comments powered by Disqus