Pain Treatments & Medications - CA

Pain Can Ruin Your Quality of Life

Uncontrolled pain – whether acute from an accident or injury, or chronic, such as arthritis or fibromyalgia --prevents you from working productively, enjoying recreation, or taking pleasure in your usual roles in the family and society.

Chronic pain may have many causes and therefore can be much more difficult to manage than acute pain.Suffering through pain and its side effects doesn’t have to be a daily challenge. Managing chronic pain requires a multidisciplinary approach and customized treatments to meet your specific needs.

Treating Pain

The best treatment may involve the use of medications that possess pain-relieving properties, including some antidepressants, anticonvulsants, antiarrhythmics, anesthetics, antiviral agents, and NMDA antagonists. Drugs like dextromethorphan and ketamine can block pain transmission in dorsal horn spinal neurons, reduce nociception, and decrease tolerance to and the need for opiate analgesics.

Compounding Combines Multiple Medications in Topical Treatments That Go Directly to the Pain and Avoid Side Effects

The Compounding Pharmacists at MYERS Medical can blend a wide range of medications into compounded transdermal creams and gels in a base that enhances absorption of the medication. By combining various agents that utilize different mechanisms to alter the sensation of pain, we have found that smaller concentrations of each medication are needed. Topical pain medications often avoid the unpleasant side effects of oral medicines. When medications are administered transdermally, they are not absorbed through the gastrointestinal system and do not undergo first-pass hepatic metabolism.

• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) including aspirin and ibuprofen (i.e., Advil and Motrin) are most often used for mild or moderate pain. They carry no risk of addiction, and depending on the amount of pain, may eliminate the need for stronger medications. NSAIDs, however, may interfere with blood clotting and may cause nausea, vomiting, or kidney problems.
• opioids including drugs such as morphine and codeine, are most often used for acute pain, and may be given immediately following surgery. Contrary to popular belief, it is rare for a patient to become addicted to them. Opioids may cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, constipation, or itching and other skin rashes.
• local anesthetics – a class of more than 100 drugs -- act by blocking the transmission of nerve impulses and are often administered for severe pain in a limited area of the body. Several injections may be necessary to control the pain, and too much anesthetic can have various side effects. acetaminophen (i.e., Tylenol) is one type of pain reliever that is unlikely to cause the stomach irritation that may be associated with NSAIDs. Certain acetaminophen products may also be less likely to interact with other medications you may be taking.

To learn more about the compounded treatments we can provide, see items listed in the window to the right.