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Analgesia

Development Of New Analgesics



The first phase in the development of new analgesics came with the development of narcotic blockers used to help drug addicts who overdose on a narcotic. Since these drugs have the ability to block the effects of morphine, they are called antagonists. They do not, however, provide any pain relief.



A second generation of narcotic antagonists are called agonist-antagonist analgesics. An agonist drug does provide pain relief by occupying receptor sites that block pain signals to the brain. The new group of agonist-antagonist medications show improved performance over morphine for providing pain relief, with fewer side effects and less chance of addiction.

The present challenge for medical science is to find medicines that are as effective as the opiates and morphine for relieving pain but do not have their side effects. Recent research on the brain has uncovered how endorphins and other related brain chemicals work, and provides hope for improved analgesic drugs.

See also Novocain.


Resources

Books

Berkow, Robert and Andrew J. Fletcher. The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy. Rahway: Merck Research Laboratories, 1992.

Gold, Mark S., and Michael Boyett. Wonder Drugs: How They Work. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1987.

Kehrer, James P., and Daniel M. Kehrer. Pills and Potions. New York: Arco, 1984.

McCaffery, Margo, and Alexandra Beebe. Pain: Clinical Manual for Nursing Practice. St. Louis: Mosby, 1989.

McKenry, Leda M., and Evelyn Salerno. Mosby's Pharmacology in Nursing. St. Louis: Mosby, 1989.

O'Neil, Maryadele J. Merck Index: An Encyclopedia of Chemicals, Drugs, & Biologicals. 13th ed. Whitehouse Station, NJ: Merck & Co., 2001.

Physicians Desk Reference 2003 with Physicians Desk Reference Family Guide. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics, 2002.


Periodicals

Kiefer, D.M. "Chemistry Chronicles: Miracle Medicines." Today's Chemist 10, no. 6 (June 2001): 59-60.


Jordan P. Richman

KEY TERMS

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Addictive analgesics

—Opiate drugs, like morphine, that provide relief from severe pain.

Agonist-antagonist analgesics

—Drugs that provide pain relief in addition to blocking the effects of narcotics; these may be more effective and safer than opiates.

Antagonists

—Drugs that block the effects of narcotics.

Endorphins

—Biochemicals produced by the brain that act as opiates and reduce pain.

Nonaddictive analgesics

—Drugs that relieve minor to moderate and, in some cases, severe pain.

Prostaglandins

—Hormone-like substances found throughout the body, some of which are responsible for the pain and inflammation of an injury or illness.

Referred pain

—Pain that is felt away from the part of the body in which it originates.

Additional topics

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