Analgesic
hideAn analgesic (also known as a painkiller) is any member of the diverse group of drugs used to relieve pain (achieve analgesia). The word analgesic derives from Greek an- ("without") and algos ("pain"). Analgesic drugs act in various ways on the peripheral and central nervous systems; they include paracetamol (acetaminophen), the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as the salicylates, narcotic drugs such as morphine, synthetic drugs with narcotic properties such as tramadol, and various others.
In choosing analgesics, the severity and response to other medication determines the choice of agent; the WHO pain ladder, originally developed in cancer-related pain, is widely applied to find suitable drugs in a stepwise manner. The analgesic choice is also determined by the type of pain: for neuropathic pain, traditional analgesics are less effective, and there is often benefit from classes of drugs that are not normally considered analgesics, such as tricyclic antidepressants and anticonvulsants.
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News tagged with painkiller
FDA: 'limited' benefit with tamper-proof OxyContin
Medicine & Health / Medications
Sep 22, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Federal health officials say a new version of the painkiller OxyContin that is designed to be harder to abuse offers some improvements over the original pill.
FDA probes liver damage with weight loss pill alli
Medicine & Health / Medications
Aug 24, 2009 |
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(AP) -- The Food and Drug Administration is investigating reports of liver damage in patients taking alli, the only nonprescription weight loss drug approved by the agency.
Another hepatitis case linked to Colorado hospital
Jul 17, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Another hepatitis C case has been linked to a Denver hospital where an infected surgery technician is accused of swapping her dirty syringes for ones filled with a powerful painkiller meant for patients.
3 states investigating hep C-infected scrub tech
Jul 17, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Hundreds more patients have been advised to get tested for hepatitis C as health officials in two more states launched investigations into an infected Colorado surgery tech who allegedly swapped clean ...
FDA orders overdose warnings for Darvocet
Medicine & Health / Medications
Jul 07, 2009 |
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(AP) -- The government is letting the painkillers Darvocet, Darvon and their generic cousins stay on the market but ordered stronger warnings against deadly overdoses on Tuesday.
Colo. scrub tech hears charges in hepatitis C case
Jul 07, 2009 |
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(AP) -- A Denver hospital said Monday it has asked every patient who had surgery there over a six-month period to come in for a blood test amid allegations that a former technician exposed up to 6,000 people to hepatitis ...
Reduction in suicides after withdrawal of painkiller
Medicine & Health / Medications
Jun 19, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Withdrawal of the painkiller co-proxamol from use in the UK has led to a major reduction in suicides and accidental poisonings involving the drug, research led by Oxford University has shown.
Food and drug agency to study greater openness
Medicine & Health / Medications
Jun 02, 2009 |
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(AP) -- The government's food and drug regulators want to open their files to the public.
