Pain Medicines

There are several kinds of pain medicine:

• Regional: Regional anesthetics temporarily deaden nerves near the pain site. Affected nerves cannot send pain signals so you have no feeling of pain. Regional anesthetics may be given alone or with narcotics.
• Narcotics: These are strong pain medicines most often used for severe pain for a short time after surgery. Two examples are Morphine and Oxycodone.
• NSAIDS: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) are used to reduce swelling and soreness. They relieve mild to moderate pain. They are sometimes used with narcotics. Examples are acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin), and Torado.

Pain medicines can be given in several ways:

• IV: Medicine given through a tube into your vein gives pain relief in minutes. Nurses may inject the pain medicine into your IV tube or an IV solution may deliver a slow, continuous supply of pain medicine.
• PCA: Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) allows you to push a button to receive a dose of pain medicine through an IV. PCA allows for a more constant level of pain relief. PCA pumps deliver a pre-measured dose of narcotic with each use.
• Epidural: An epidural gives ongoing pain relief through a catheter into your lower back. Epidurals deliver narcotics or a mixture of a narcotic and an anesthetic. As a result, epidurals can control the kind of severe pain that follows major surgery such as hip, knee, lung or abdominal surgery.
• Regional Blocks: A regional block gives pain relief by blocking a nerve or a group of nerves. It may be given with a single injection or with local anesthetic fed continuously through a small catheter.

As your hospital stay nears its end, you’ll probably start taking pain medicines by mouth. You may receive a prescription for pain-relief pills or liquids to take at home.