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Pharmacokinetics and Mechanisms of Action of Analgesics in Clinical Pain
Author(s) -
STAMBAUGH JOHN E.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
the journal of clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.92
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1552-4604
pISSN - 0091-2700
DOI - 10.1002/j.1552-4604.1981.tb02607.x
Subject(s) - medicine , analgesic , chronic pain , pharmacokinetics , cancer pain , drug , morphine , pain ladder , intensive care medicine , pharmacology , anesthesia , cancer , physical therapy
Due to recent interest in the development of drug assay techniques, the pharmacokinetics of many analgesics have been defined. In addition, mechanisms of action of the commonly used analgesics have been partly delineated, and currently accepted analgesic regimens and usages are being questioned. By considering both the pharmacokinetics and the mechanism of action of each of these analgesics, it would appear that only a few of the currently available agents are needed for the treatment of acute and chronic pain. Newer agents with reduced toxicity have been introduced but have resulted in little expansion of novel ways to interfere with pain. The recent discovery of the β‐endorphin system, the reevaluation of older agents, and the development of new agents that work at pain pathways other than the classical sites hold out the promise of alternative means of control of certain types of pain. An agent that has analgesic efficacy equivalent to morphine but with reduced toxicity is especially exciting in the development of new analgesics. An agent that, in addition, does not lead to intolerable psychomimetic reactions but instead addresses multiple aspects of treating the fear, pain, and tension triad of pain will be beneficial in acute pain but will epecially enhance the spectrum of the control of chronic pain such as cancer, neuralgia and arthralgia.