Joint Pain Reliever : Opioid Formulations

Various joint pain conditions frequently lead to development of incapacitating state leading to requirement of pain killer use. There are two main groups of pain medications.
  • Analgesics – these are medications used specifically in treating pain.Analgesics include opioids, non-opioids, and combination medications.
  • Adjuvant medications are those with primary uses other than pain relief, but help with pain relief. These include anticonvulsants, muscle relaxants and antidepressants.

For taking care of severe joint pain, opioid analgesics are administered, but there are considerable concerns about addiction, side effects, tolerance, and potential for regulatory action. It is recommended by the World Health Organization to start pain treatment with non-opioid medications such as aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol), or anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen, diclofenac or naproxen.

Opioids and combination drugs are the most potent agents available today for patients with chronic pain. An opioid formulation is superior in its efficacy than NSAIDs and thought to be a better pain reliever. Opioid medications include hydrocodone, hydromorphone, methadone, fentanyl, methadone, buprenorphine, meperidine, oxycodone and codeine. The American Academy of Pain Medicine along with the World Health Organization has endorsed narcotic medications where pain is crippling enough to have caused severe disturbance in routine activities of life. Synthetic joint pain reliever, derived from opioid is usually given in crippling joint pain.

Opioids are made from opium, which is a grainy, bitter powder from the seedpod of the poppy flower. Opium is reputed to be a potent joint pain reliever. In these times, most opioid preparations are synthetic. Their common route of administration is in oral and injection form. Meticulous dosage titration is required while using any opioid agents as a joint pain reliever. Common adverse reactions in patients taking opioids for pain relief include nausea and vomiting, drowsiness, itching, dry mouth, miosis and constipation. Infrequent adverse reactions in patients taking opioids for pain relief include: dose-related respiratory depression (especially with more potent opioids), confusion, hallucinations, delirium, urticaria, hypothermia, bradycardia/tachycardia, orthostatic hypotension, dizziness, headache, urinary retention, ureteric or biliary spasm, muscle rigidity and myoclonus.

Opioids have known to cause tolerance. Tolerance is more pronounced for some effects than for others; tolerance occurs quickly to the effects on mood, itching, urinary retention, and respiratory depression, but occurs more slowly to the analgesia and other physical side effects. Psychological addiction is more common in people taking opioids recreationally, and is rare in patients who take opioids appropriately to treat severe joints pain. With the reputation of the best joint pain reliever, an opioid formulation is the last medical resort in the management of acute and severe painful joint condition.

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