Pain relief drugs

It makes Cozaar and Hyzaar for hypertension Vytorin, Zetia, and Zocor to lower cholesterol Pro-pecia for male-pattern baldness Singulair for asthma Fosamax for osteoporosis and Gardasil, a vaccine for cervical cancer but it is also well known for making Vioxx, a pain relief drug taken off the market for causing heart problems. 

Caffeine is derived by extraction of coffee beans, tea leaves, and kola nuts. It is also prepared synthetically. Much of the caffeine of commerce is a by-product of decaffeinized coffee manufacture. The compound is purified by a series of recrystallizations. Caffeine finds use in medicine and in soft drinks. Caffeine is also available as the hydrobromide and as sodium benzoate, winch is a mixture of caffeine and sodium benzoate, containing 47-50% anhydrous caffeine and 50-53% sodium benzoate. This mixture is more soluble in water than pure caffeine. A number of nonprescription (pain relief) drugs contain caffeine as one of several ingiedients. Caffeine is a known cardiac stimulant and in some persons who consume significant amounts, caffeine can produce ventricular premature beats. 

Oxycontin—Trade name for the pain-relief drug oxycodone and hydrochloride, which can be addictive. 

Vicodin—A pain-relief drug that combines acetaminophen with hydrocodone, which can be habit-forming. 

In early 2009, a phase II clinical trial sponsored by a company aptly named CherryPharm was launched to determine the effects of drinking cherry juice on pain perception in subjects with severe knee osteoarthritis. This human research was based on laboratory studies charting inflammation-induced pain behavior in rats. Results showed that tart cherry extracts reduce inflammation-induced pain and edema similarly to a dose of the pain-relief drug indomethacin. Although these studies indicate that tart cherry anthocyanins may have a beneficial role in the treatment of inflammatory pain, most of this research is based on test-tube or rat studies, meaning that progress remains within the lower half of the research pyramid. 

Many of my patients have gotten relief from arthritis simply by eliminating toxins from their lifestyle and eating a more alkaline diet like the one outlined later in this book. In addition, people who take Aspirin for arthritis pain may want to explore other options Aspirin and other pain-relief drugs that contain salicylates are known to increase acidity in the body. (Remember that Aspirin s chemical name is acetylsalicylic acid.)... 

Pain Relief Drugs Analgesic/antipyretic Relief of... 

MANAGING ANXIETY. Fhtients may exhibit varying degrees of anxiety related to tiieir illness and infection and die necessary drug therapy. When these drug are given by die parenteral route, patients may experience anxiety because of the discomfort or pain that accompanies an IM injection or IV administration. The nurse reassures die patient that every effort will be made to reduce pain and discomfort altiiough complete pain relief may not always be possible. 

Like aspirin, ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. It is a cyclooxygenase inhibitor that interferes with COX-1 and COX-2 forms of that enzyme. Its effects on COX-2 give it fever-reducing (antipyretic), analgesic (pain relief), and anti-inflammatory functions. 

Drugs with no therapeutic use (cannabis, LSD) and so are not prescribed Drugs with medical use — heroin and morphine for pain relief, amphetamine for narcolepsy and cocaine... 

Elucidation of the activities of individual COX isoforms led to the development of drugs that selectively inhibit the inducible form of the enzyme, COX-2. Thus COX-2 inhibitors were expected to minimize NSAID gastrointestinal toxicity and antiplatelet effects (see Fig. 55-3).19 A common misconception is that COX-2 inhibitors are more effective than nonselective NSAIDs in relieving pain and inflammation. In clinical trials, patients experienced similar levels of pain relief with COX-2 inhibitors and nonselective NSAIDs. 

The difference in opiate pharmacology between people with and without pain also applies to addiction. The drug-seeking behaviour synonymous with drug addiction does not occur in patients given opiates for pain relief in childbirth, operations or heart attacks (Porter and Jick, 1980). Clearly, drug addicts are not in pain, and it has consequently been argued that medical use of opiates does not produce addicts (McQuay, 2001). 

Intraarticular corticosteroid injections can provide relief, particularly when a joint effusion is present. Average doses for injection of large joints in adults are methylprednisolone acetate 20 to 40 mg or triamcinolone hexacetonide 10 to 20 mg. After aseptic aspiration of the effusion and corticosteroid injection, initial pain relief may occur within 24 to 72 hours, with peak relief occurring in about 1 week and lasting for 4 to 8 weeks. The patient should minimize joint activity and stress on the joint for several days after the injection. Therapy is generally limited to three or four injections per year because of the potential systemic effects of the drugs and because the need for more frequent injections indicates poor response to therapy. 

Although treatment is minimally effective if used for 7 days, 10-14 days of treatment is recommended. The antisecretory drug may be continued beyond antimicrobial treatment in patients with a history of complicated ulcer (e g., bleeding or in heavy smokers). In the setting of an active ulcer, acid suppression is added to hasten pain relief. 

Like the medical treatment of uterine leiomyomas, danazol, gestrinone, mifepristone, and GnRH-a, with or without add-back therapy, have been proposed for the treatment of endometriosis as well (Olive et al. 2001 Stones et al. 2004), but unlike leiomyomas, oral contraceptive pills, in cyclic or continuous administration, and medroxyprogesterone acetate also seem to be effective (Olive et al. 2001 Stones et al. 2004). A significant benefit in terms of pelvic pain relief also is obtained with the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Olive et al. 2001 Stones et al. 2004). 

Causes of adverse effects over-dosage (A). The drug is administered in a higher dose than is required for the principal effect this directly or indirectly affects other body functions. For instances, morphine (p. 210), given in the appropriate dose, affords excellent pain relief by influencing nociceptive pathways in the CNS. In excessive doses, it inhibits the respiratory center and makes apnea imminent The dose dependence of both effects can be graphed in the form of dose-response curves (DRC). The distance between both DRCs indicates the difference between the therapeutic and toxic doses. This margin of safety indicates the risk of toxicity when standard doses are exceeded. 

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