What are the different types of pain medicine and when are they used?
Acetaminophen (known as the medication in Tylenol) is a medication used for mild pain of any kind. Acetaminophen does not usually cause severe side effects. No more than 4,000 mg should be taken in a day to avoid liver damage. Persons consuming heavy amounts of alcohol should limit their intake of acetaminophen. Aspirin can also be used for mild pain, but aspirin has more side effects than acetaminophen, including bleeding, nausea, heartburn, ringing in the ears, and irritation of the lining of the stomach. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are helpful for mild to moderate pain. Familiar medicines in this category include ibuprofen and naproxen. NSAIDs have significant side effects, including bleeding, kidney failure, nausea, rash, fluid retention, and stomach ulcers. Opioids is the general name for a family of drugs. The name is derived from opium. The juice of the opium poppy is used to make some but not all of the drugs in this family. Opioids are medications for patient
