What kind of pain meds are there

Many analgesics should not be used if there is decreased kidney function, because they reduce the blood flow to the kidney. Also, long term use with higher doses may harm normal kidneys.

It is important to realize that, while helpful, these medicines are not completely without risk, and they should be used carefully.

Kidney disease related to analgesics is preventable. Analgesics are medicines that help to control pain and reduce fever, and some types also decrease inflammation. Examples of analgesics that are available over the counter are: aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, Ketoprofen and naproxen sodium.

Prescription strength pain medicines are also available. Some analgesics contain a combination of painkilling ingredients in one pill- such as aspirin, acetaminophen and caffeine- that have been linked to kidney disease.

These are not as readily available as in the past. Check with your doctor to be sure you can use these medicines safely, particularly if you have kidney disease. Heavy or long-term use of some of these medicines, such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and higher dose aspirin, can cause chronic kidney disease known as chronic interstitial nephritis. The warning labels on over-the-counter analgesics tell you not to use these medicines for more than l0 days for pain and more than three days for fever.

The doctor can check for possible medical problems and advise you about what medications you should take. If you have decreased kidney function, painkillers called NSAIDs see below and higher dose aspirin are not recommended. Even with normal kidney function, you should use analgesics:. When taken as directed, regular use of aspirin does not seem to increase the risk of kidney disease in people who have normal kidney function.

Depending on the type of prescription opioid taken, its side effects, risks, and potency will vary. Regardless of potency, all prescription opioids should be used with extreme caution and only as prescribed. Any misuse of these drugs can contribute to addiction, overdose, or death. Carfentanil is a highly potent synthetic opioid and a fentanyl analog. According to the U. Drug Enforcement Administration DEA , carfentanil is about 10, times more potent than morphine and times more potent than fentanyl.

Carfentanil has been linked to a significant number of overdose deaths all over the country and continues to be a serious danger to public safety.

Occasionally it is found on the black market and has surfaced in communities all over the U. Dsuvia is the most powerful opioid painkiller approved for human use. It is up to 10 times stronger than fentanyl and times more potent than morphine. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that was initially developed to treat patients suffering from cancer-related pain. When abused, it can produce temporary feelings of euphoria and a powerful, short-lived high.

Due to its high potential for abuse, it is frequently found on the black market and illegally manufactured in secret labs, primarily located in Mexico. According to the DEA, fentanyl is 80 to times stronger than morphine.

Hydromorphone is another prescription pain reliever that is two to eight times more potent than morphine. It is classified as a Schedule II drug in the U. Oxymorphone is a powerful prescription opioid pain reliever used to treat moderate to severe pain. The main types of pain medications are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs ; opioids , that are narcotic painkillers; other non-narcotic pain meds , which are OTC pain meds.

Pain medications from the opioid class are sold with a prescription only. The prescription painkillers from the opioid class perform similar effects on the body because they are chemically related. This type of analgesics impact the opioid receptors on the nerve cells in the central nervous system. This mechanism blocks the signals of ache that are sent to the brain, giving intense and immediate pain-relieving and relaxing effects for the user.

These drugs are made from an analgesic alkaloid morphine obtained from the opium poppy seeds. Most of the opioid analgesics come in a pill form, but they can also be administered through intravenous therapy method, as injectable pain meds or even as a transdermal patch. Opiate-based painkillers like Morphine are widely abused recreationally in order to achieve the euphoric sensation.

Due to their highly addictive and damaging properties, opioid painkillers are given only as prescription pain medications and the use of these drugs is regulated closely. Center for Disease Control and Prevention advises physicians to prescribe the lowest effective dose of opiates to take it for the shortest period of time.

This is due to the possibility of developing a long term dependence to opioids in a period as short as five days. Apart from these legal pain meds , there are also illegal opioid drugs such as Heroin and synthetic Fentanyl, that have no allowed medical uses in the U. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs work on a chemical level to block the effects of natural enzymes produced by the body that cause inflammation and pain.

NSAIDs work as more than just analgesics. This type of pain medications relieves inflammation and also reduces blood clotting that creates a protective effect for those who suffer from heart diseases.

The use of painkillers of this type is effective in conditions that cause both ache and inflammation such as arthritis or sciatica nerve pain.

The most popular over-the-counter anti-inflammatory painkillers:. There are people who are particularly allergic or show severe sensitivity towards anti-inflammatory painkillers.