Painkillers come in many variations and treat mild to severe pain. These medications include over-the-counter and pain killers available only by prescription. The strongest painkillers are prescription medications and are used to treat chronic pain. Depending on the type and severity of the pain, prescription painkillers can assist individuals in reducing pain and the symptoms associated with it. Painkillers are categorized by chemical type.
Morphine
Morphine belongs to a group of drugs called opiates and is a potent, prescription narcotic pain reliever. It acts directly on the central nervous system and works by decreasing the pain perception in the brain. Morphine treats mild to severe pain and comes in liquid, tablets and controlled released capsules for short or extended release. The U.S. Department of Justice states that morphine is one of the most effective drugs to relieve pain and is the drug of choice for relieving conditions including myocardial infarction and acute pulmonary edema.
Side effects of morphine include confusion, shallow breathing, nausea, dizziness and other health concerns. Morphine is a highly addictive substance and a doctor will prescribe the dose base on individual need.
OxyContin
OxyContin is an opiate, narcotic pain reliever prescribed for chronic and severe pain. Available in tablet, capsule and liquid form, the active ingredient in OxyContin is oxycodone. The tablet offers controlled release for relief of pain over a 12-hour period. OxyContin provides rapid pain relief and is one of the strongest painkillers.
In 2008, 50.1 million prescriptions of OxyContin were prescribed to individuals and the pain reliever is still widely prescribed in the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Diversion Control.
Side effects of OxyContin include weakness, dizziness, nausea, sweating, shallow breathing and seizures. Similar to other opioid agonists, OxyContin has a high potential for abuse.
Vicodin
Vicodin is a narcotic analgesic pain reliever that contains acetaminophine and hydrocodone. The properties of acetaminophine and hydrocodone work off each other to produce strong pain relief. Hycrocodone is a similar synthetic opioid to morphine and when abused, leads to addiction and tolerance of the medication. The pain reliever comes in tablet, capsule and liquid forms and uses the neurological pathways to block out pain perception. Side effects include confusion, shallow breathing, nausea, problems with urination, headaches and blurred vision.
