Pain Management Drugs - Introduction

Pain management drugs are sometimes the only way to find relief when dealing with severe or chronic pain. These drugs are collectively known as analgesics, derived from the Greek words an or "without" and algos or "pain." Many of these pain management drugs are available over-the-counter, but some, especially those for more severe pain, can only be purchased after obtaining a prescription from a doctor. It is extremely important to always do some research before ingesting any of these pain management drugs to ensure that they will not cause foreseeable adverse reactions in your body.

The Classes

Analgesics are divided into different classes all of which act by either blocking pain signals to the brain or by interfering with the way the brain interprets the signals of pain that it is receiving. The basic two categories of analgesics are narcotics and non-narcotics. Sometimes aspirin and NSAIDS are included in the classes of analgesics but are primarily anti-inflammatory in narure and not purely analgesic. Acetaminophen is the over-the-counter drug that is most commonly used to treat mild to moderate pain. This choice is popular because it is effective and also relatively inexpensive. Although this is a good choice as far as pain management drugs go there are some serious risks if one does not follow the label properly and with long term use these drugs have been shown to cause liver damage. It is also very important to check whether any other medications you are currently taking contain acetaminophen in order to be sure that you do not exceed the recommended daily limit.

The second class of drugs are narcotic analgesics, most commonly opioids. Opioids are medications that bind to the opioid receptors in the central nervous system or gastointestinal tract. There are four broad classes of opioids, the first being Endogenous opioid peptides, produced in the body: endorphins, dynorphins and enkephalins. The second class are opium alkaloids: morphine, codeine, thebaine. The third class are semi-synthetic opioids: heroin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, hydromorphone and many more. The final class are fully synthetic opioids: tramadol, demerol, fentanyl, methadone to name a few. Opioids are used to relieve severe or chronic pain. Opioid doses must be increased slowly in order to allow the body to develop a tolerance to the adverse effects. Sometimes the doses are enough to kill a person who is not suffering from extreme pain. Opioids are highly addictive and are abused by many people. Some common opioid side effects and reactions are nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, dry mouth, miosis, orthostatic hypotension, urinary retention and constipation. Some less common side effects experienced by opioid users are confusion, hallucinations, itches, hives, delirium, hypothermia, flushing, muscle rigidity and raised intracranial pressure.

Where To Go

There are various way to obtain pain management drugs, most commonly from the local drugstore or pharmacy. There are some inconveniences to obtaining drugs in this manner, especially the prescription variety. To obtain your medications from the local drug store you would have to go to your doctor and get a prescription, probably waiting long hours before you are let in to see the doctor. You would then also have to wait in your local pharmacy and then shell out a lot of money before you are able to get anything. Another option open to those who are wishing to buy pain medication is to shop online at one of the many foreign online pharmacies. While there can be some risk involved in this choice, especially if you are not educated on how to choose, there are a large number of reliable companies like medsindia.com, that are able to save their customers huge amounts of money. These drug stores can obtain medicine cheaply in the country in which they are based and then pass along these savings to their customers. On many occasions, customers are not even required to produce a doctor's prescription before purchasing their medication. So if you are suffering from pain, pain management drugs can provide much needed relief, and if properly researched can be purchased cheaply and safely online.