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What Are Painkillers?

What Are Painkillers?

Pain is the discomforting feeling you experience when something may be wrong with your body. It is also often one of the early signs of an underlying medical condition. These uncomfortable symptoms can be described as stabbing, throbbing, sharp or dull aches and pains. The discomfort of pain can be mild to moderate, like in the case of a headache, or these feelings can be more severe, such as the symptoms of the health condition, fibromyalgia.

When pain is experienced, the sensory receptors in the affected area pick up and transmit, chemical messages, to the brain and spinal cord. These nerve messages are transmitted via the nerve fibres, located all throughout the body. Once received by the brain, these messages are interpreted and perceived as pain. Painkiller medications, also known as analgesics, are therapeutics specially designed for the purpose of limiting the discomfort of pain. These analgesic medicines function by influencing the transmission of the pain messages and generally, this is done through the interaction of the medicament and opioid receptors (in the case of opioid painkillers).

In a CDC (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention) review conducted last year, it was recorded that through the period of 2015 to 2018, 10.7% of adults in the United States (aged 20 years or over) had used one or more prescription painkillers within a month of the survey.

Painkillers

Types of Painkillers

There are various types of analgesic medications available on the pharmaceutical market. These range from strong painkillers, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and moderately strong pain medicines, such as the frequently used codeine painkillers, to mild pain-relieving tablets, such as paracetamol. These therapeutics have different mechanisms of action and work in varying ways to relive pain.

  • NSAIDs: these medications are widely used for the relief of pain and inflammation, and to reduce body temperatures for treating fever as well. NSAIDs function by inhibiting the activity of the cyclooxygenase enzymes (COX-1 and COX-2), which are key components in the inflammation and blot clotting processes.
  • Opioid analgesics: opiates, when in contact with the opioid receptors (found throughout the central nervous system), have therapeutic effects similar to those of morphine. These medicines are commonly used for pain relief, diarrhoea, restless leg syndrome and coughs too. The use of opioid analgesics should be preceded with caution so as to avoid misuse.
  • Non-opioid tablets: this is a common painkiller for mild to moderate aches and pains. Also known as acetaminophen, paracetamol can also be used for the treatment of fever. This medicine is considered one of the safest non-opioid pain-relievers available, when used at the recommended doses.
Painkillers

Are Codeine Based Painkillers Best?

Painkillers containing codeine are used in all parts of the world. According to a global survey, the consumption of codeine in the UK was estimated as being 5.4% of the worldwide share of codeine, for 2018 alone. Moreover, this statistic increased to almost 14%, just one year later. With so many people using codeine-based analgesics, there must some reason behind the popularity of this pain medication.

These tablets are highly effective for the treatment of pain. In a randomised, placebo-controlled study, the use of codeine in chronic non-malignant pain was evaluated. It was indicated that 93% of clinical trial patients who completed the study requested long-term treatment with codeine control-release (codeine CR) pills. This study further concluded that the efficacy of codeine CR was based on the reduction of pain symptoms and the reduction of pain-related disabilities as well (Arkinstall et. al., 1995).

Even with the great efficacy of these pain medications, opiates are to be used with caution as they carry a risk for dependency and tolerance, as well as painkiller addiction. The safety of this therapeutic can be maintained by adhering to the advised dosages and dosing guidelines, as these are put in place to minimise the risk of painkiller side effects.

Painkillers

Painkillers without Prescription

  • Most of the potent analgesic medicines require a prescription as they have a high potential for misuse. However, pain tablets, such as paracetamol, can be purchased over-the-counter (OTC) as these generally do not require a prescription. In addition, some established online pharmacies make the process simpler and paperless.
  • OTC pain-relieving medications can be adequate for mild to moderate symptoms of pain. these are typically not used for chronic or severe discomfort as they are not associated with many psychoactive effects.
  • NSAIDs and opiates work by altering brain chemistry and this effect can mask the uncomfortable pain symptoms. Paracetamol, on the other hand, functions by affecting the endocannabinoid system (a system of endocannabinoid molecules found throughout the body that affect neurotransmission). Although, this mild pain-reliever does not have much psychotropic activity, it does not mean that this therapeutic is not associated with any psychoactive effects.
  • In fact, a new U.S study has shown that paracetamol painkiller dosage may dull emotions in addition to relieving psychical pain.
Painkillers

Painkillers and Sleep

  • Sleep is required by the body for the restoration of the immune, skeletal, nervous and muscular systems as these are essential processes that assist in the functioning and maintenance of memory, mood and cognitive functions.
  • As a vital requirement, adults are supposed to rest for at least seven to nine hours a night. However, for those with a sleep disorder, this daily requirement of sleep is generally unachievable. Sleep difficulties can be associated with the inability to fall asleep, stay asleep or both in some cases.
  • Sleep medications assist in managing the symptoms of a sleep condition as they have psychoactive properties. The psychotropic effects of a sleeping pill can promote a state of calm and relaxation, conducive with sleep.
  • Painkillers, although not intended for the use as a sleep medicine, can also bring about these psychoactive effects known to induce sleep.
  • To determine the best painkiller suited to you, you have to first examine the symptoms of your condition and the reasons for using the medication too. Once you have these details, you can decide on which pain-reliever is most appropriate to alleviate or manage the discomfort of pain.
  • You can buy painkillers in the UK through safe and secure internet pharmacies.

Read More Useful Painkiller Information

At cheapsleepingtablets.net we sell more than just painkillers. People suffering from insomnia and anxiety can select from a wide range of sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medication. All medication sold on our website is available without a doctor's prescription and delivery to any location in the UK takes just 2 to 4 working days.

Don't forget to leave a star rating and share your opinion in the comments section below and remember that you can contact us 24 hours a day with any questions that you have about our online pharmacy.

Annabelle Clarke

AUTHOR: Annabelle Clarke

Since graduating from the University of Nottingham with a Master’s degree in English literature Annabelle has followed her dream and pursued a career as a content writer. We are confident that Annabelle’s love for life, as well as her passion and dedication to help others will be reflected in her blogs and will offer our readers new and alternative ways to improve their sleep pattern and the health benefits associated with getting a good night's sleep.

Dean Palmer – Aug 17, 2022
Hello Annabelle, Sleep plays such an important role in recovering from pain that having the correct treatment plan cannot be under estimated. Your blog beautifully illustrates this. Dean P

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