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An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic, antalgic, pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used for pain management.Analgesics are conceptually distinct from anesthetics, which temporarily reduce, and in some instances eliminate, sensation, although analgesia and anesthesia are neurophysiologically overlapping and thus various drugs have both analgesic and ...
"Strength" is defined as analgesic potency relative to oral morphine. Tolerance, sensitization, cross-tolerance, metabolism, and hyperalgesia may be complex factors in some individuals. Interactions with other drugs, food and drink, and other factors may increase or decrease the effect of certain analgesics and alter their half-life.
Anti-inflammatory drugs, also called anti-inflammatories, make up about half of analgesics. These drugs remedy pain by reducing inflammation as opposed to opioids , which affect the central nervous system to block pain signaling to the brain.
[1] Sometimes drugs cannot be compared across a wide range of treatment situations because one drug has a ceiling effect. [citation needed] Sometimes the desired effect increases with dose, but side effects worsen or start being dangerous, and risk to benefit ratio increases. This is because of occupation of all the receptors in a given specimen.
Pain relief starts soon after taking the first dose, and a full analgesic effect should normally be obtained within a week, whereas an anti-inflammatory effect may not be achieved (or may not be clinically assessable) for up to three weeks. If appropriate responses are not obtained within these times, another NSAID should be tried. [3]
Opioids are effective analgesics in chronic malignant pain and modestly effective in nonmalignant pain management. [66] However, there are associated adverse effects, especially during the commencement or change in dose. When opioids are used for prolonged periods drug tolerance will occur.
The most common antipyretics in the US are usually ibuprofen and aspirin, which are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) used primarily as anti-inflammatories and analgesics (pain relievers), but which also have antipyretic properties; and paracetamol (acetaminophen), an analgesic without anti-inflammatory properties. [2]
An analgesic adjuvant is a medication that is typically used for indications other than pain control but provides control of pain in some painful diseases. This is often part of multimodal analgesia , where one of the intentions is to minimize the need for opioids.