These Are The 4 Best Medications For Pain Relief

We live in a highly medicated society. If we have a common cold, we try to figure out ways to medicate it away. Or at least medicate the symptoms away temporarily so we can function. When we hurt ourselves, we immediately dive for the pain killers. Simple headaches or body pain, we medicate. We medicate children when we feel like they are a little more hyper than we’re used to. We medicate ourselves and our pets in some cases, so we can fly on planes. With the legalization of marijuana, we now have entire states medicating themselves. There is a lot more stress in the world than back in the day. The rise of social media has brought the world closer together to the point we feel like we’re sharing each other’s issues. This could be an awakening where we realize we’re all connected on this planet and what we do impacts other countries. This is includes and is not limited to the global pharma market.

As a direct or indirect result of stress, chronic pain and other ailments reported in the US, we have an opioid crisis that is running rampant in the US. To put in perspective how dependent this country has become on pharmaceutical drugs, according to cnbc.com¹, in recent years approximately 80% of the global opioid supply is consumed in the United States. To make it a little easier to understand, this means if the global opioid supply was 100, the US would consume 80 of that 100, while the rest of the world, combined, consumed the other 20. This points to data points supporting the idea that either Americans are in more pain than all other countries in the world combined, or something more menacing could be going on.

Irina Koffler, the senior analyst for specialty pharma at Mizuho Securities told cnbc.com² in the same article that there was about 300 million pain prescriptions written in 2015 alone. That comes in right behind cancer, making pain drugs the second-largest pharmaceutical class world-wide. The $24 billion market shows very little sign of slowing and even less legislative support to enact laws that could assist in curbing the problem. It is a profitable business, so it’s hard to imagine the drive to change it and decrease profits. This issue has been shown to be quite a challenge. According to webmd.com³, in 2014, nearly 1.3 million people sought emergency care for adverse effects caused by pain medication and 124,000 people actually died.

This isn’t to say prescription medication is bad. Anything can be bad in excess, but with moderation, pain medication could be harmless and actually helpful. Naturally, there are concerns of side effects and the impacts of long-term use, but the timeline of use can be extended if the medication is not being abused.

There are great medications out there that are very effective for chronic pain management. You are still accountable for the prevalent use of the medication, but the efficacy and effectiveness of these drugs require little use, thus curbing the chances of abuse.

Demerol

Demeral is a pain medication that is administered by a doctor injecting Meperidine into the veins, muscle or under the skin. According to webmd.com⁴, Meperidine is generic pain medication used to help relieve moderate to severe pain, before and during surgery or other medical procedures. There are alternatives if a patient does not want to be injected under the skin. They can take oral Demerol in the form of tablets of syrup. It takes about 15 minutes for a patient’s body to respond to the medication. It should be noted that Demerol is an opioid and should be taken with care, if self-administered. Some common side effects include: Nausea, constipation, dizziness, vomiting, drowsiness, amongst others. It’s important to let a professional know if you are experiencing side effects.

Tylenol Arthritis Pain

Arthritis is a common ailment amongst the aging community. Younger people are starting to experience signs of early onset arthritis as well, due to the shift in our jobs over the years. More people are in offices, on computers typing which could lead to carpal tunnel and other arthritic symptoms. Side effects are far less common with Tylenol products, as it is an over the counter medicine. There is still the risks of overdose which could lead to liver damage or even liver failure. Some side effects may include nausea and dizziness.

BC Powder

Some doctors would say the fastest way for medicine to absorb into your blood stream is under your tongue. They use to give children medicine under their tongues so it would react faster. This could be what makes BC Power so effective. The powder goes directly on your tongue. For the people who get grossed out with any kind of medication, it can also be put directly in a glass of water. It dissolves clear and very quick and is very effective when combating pain. It’s primarily used for headaches ranging in severity, but is also helpful with dealing with pain attributed to arthritis. With ingesting any kind of medication, side effects may include nausea and stomach cramps. Some have reported nervousness and heartburn. In some extreme cases, bronchospasms and anemia have resulted.

Oxycodone

In some extreme cases of chronic unbearable pain, over the counter medication is not strong enough to help get through the pain. In those circumstances, something far stronger would be warranted and would have to be prescribed. Oxycodone is a very strong pain medication that will need to be prescribed by a licensed physician. It is highly effective, but also highly addictive. It cannot be emphasized enough to approach use of this medication with extreme caution. Oxycodone delivers chemicals to the brain’s receptors that dull pain sensors. The chemical could also cause an adverse reaction to natural emotions. Some may become more irritable, notice mood swings, headaches and drowsiness. More serious side effects include chest pain, no appetite, arrhythmia, difficulty with breathing, and seizures.

Whether you’re looking over the counter, or for something far stronger, don’t be intimidated to alleviate your pain with pain medication, but please use wisely. 

Sources: 

1 https://www.cnbc.com/2016/04/27/americans-consume-almost-all-of-the-global-opioid-supply.html

2 https://www.cnbc.com/2016/04/27/americans-consume-almost-all-of-the-global-opioid-supply.html

3 https://www.webmd.com/drug-medication/news/

4 https://www.webmd.com/g00/drugs/2/drug-3914/demerol-injection/