Pain Relievers

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests

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• Related Issues
• Specifics

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Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

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For You

• Children
• Patient Handouts

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 Double Up on Acetaminophen (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• Keeping Kidneys Safe: Smart Choices about Medicines (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
• Narcotic Bowel Syndrome (International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders)
• Pain Control After Surgery: Pain Medicines (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Topical Pain Relievers May Cause Burns (Food and Drug Administration)

Specifics

• A Guide to Safe Use of Pain Medicine (Food and Drug Administration)
• Chronic Pain Medicines (American Academy of Family Physicians) 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
• Pain Control (National Cancer Institute) - PDF
• 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

Statistics and Research

• Provider Beliefs May Affect Pain Relief (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish

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)

• Article: Sleep disorders are associated with acetaminophen-induced adverse reactions and liver injury.
• Article: Intravenous versus oral acetaminophen as an adjunct on pain and recovery...
• Article: Efficacy of ibuprofen in musculoskeletal post-traumatic pain in children: A systematic...
• Pain Relievers -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Food and Drug Administration

Children

• Acetaminophen and Children: Why Dose Matters (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Codeine and Tramadol Can Cause Breathing Problems for Children (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• Fentanyl Patch Can Be Deadly to Children (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• Know Concentration Before Giving Acetaminophen to Infants (Food and Drug Administration)

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