Contents

Disclaimer

Oxford University Press makes no representation, express or implied, that the drug dosages in this book are correct. Readers must therefore always check the product information and clinical procedures with the most up to date published product information and data sheets provided by the manufacturers and the most recent codes of conduct and safety regulations. The authors and the publishers do not accept responsibility or legal liability for any errors in the text or for the misuse or misapplication of material in this work. Except where otherwise stated, drug dosages and recommendations are for the non-pregnant adult who is not breastfeeding.

Show Summary Details
Page of

Non-opioid analgesics 

Non-opioid analgesics
Chapter:
Non-opioid analgesics
Author(s):

Per Sjøgren

, Frank Elsner

, and Stein Kaasa

DOI:
10.1093/med/9780199656097.003.0096
Page of

PRINTED FROM OXFORD MEDICINE ONLINE (www.oxfordmedicine.com). © Oxford University Press, 2022. All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of a title in Oxford Medicine Online for personal use (for details see Privacy Policy and Legal Notice).

date: 05 July 2022

Non-opioid analgesics encompass the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and paracetamol (acetaminophen). The NSAIDs include acetylsalicylic acid (ASA, aspirin), dipyrone (metamizole), and numerous other drugs in diverse classes. The NSAIDs have potent anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activity, and are among the most widely used drugs worldwide. In palliative medicine, they represent the first step of the World Health Organization’s analgesic ladder used for mild pain and they are an important supplement to opioids and adjuvant drugs at higher steps of the ladder. The disadvantages of non-opioid analgesics include a ceiling effect for pain relief and the risk of side effects. NSAIDs are also associated with an increased risk of adverse gastrointestinal, renal, and cardiovascular effects and hepatotoxicity can result from overdosing with paracetamol. This chapter describes the clinical pharmacology of NSAIDs, their classification, molecular mechanisms of action and adverse effects, as well as some recent developments aimed at designing effective anti-inflammatory agents with improved safety and tolerability profiles.

Access to the complete content on Oxford Medicine Online requires a subscription or purchase. Public users are able to search the site and view the abstracts for each book and chapter without a subscription.

Please subscribe or login to access full text content.

If you have purchased a print title that contains an access token, please see the token for information about how to register your code.

For questions on access or troubleshooting, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.