Drug | Class | Indications | Side effects | Differences |
Oxycodone | Strong opioid | moderate and severe pain | DON'T Crush Oxycontin | |
Meperidine | Strong opioid | moderate and severe pain (oral),obstetric or postsurgical analgesic (parenteral), short-term of acute pain | overdose: CNS excitation,convulsion,tremors | |
Codeine, Hydrocondone | Moderate opioid | mild to moderate pain,cough | constipation | not for pregnant,breast-feeding mom,nursing mothers; used in combination with NSAIDs (aspirin,acetaminophen) |
butorphanol | mixed opioid, kappa opioid at mu receptor | preoperative and postoperative analgesia, obstetric analgesia during labor and delivery, moderate to severe pain | Anxiety, hallucinations, nightmares | nasal spray, parenteral |
pentazocine | mixed opioid, kappa, at sigma receptor | moderate to severe pain | severe cardiovascular effects,Anxiety, hallucinations, nightmares | |
pentazocine/ naloxone | mixed opioid,naloxone: opioid reversal agent | moderate to severe pain, discourage parentaral abuse of pentazocine | Anxiety, hallucinations, nightmares | IV only, included in oral opioid to prevent IV use |
naloxone | opioid antagonist | treatment of opioid overdose | | formulated with opioid agonist to prevent crusing of the pill, short halflife =>give repeated doses |
naltrexone | opioid antagonist | for those with alcohol and opioid dependence (addicts) | | contrast with naloxone, high bioavailability |
Tramadol | other opioid agonist, mu receptors | moderate pain, chronic pain syndromes, seizure | minimal cardiovascular and respiratory depression | unique dual-action analgesic |
Dextromethorphan | other opioid agonists | cough (antitussive effect) | | |
Diphenoxylate, loperamide | other opioid agonist | diarrhea | | |
Morphine | Strong opioid | severe pain associated with trauma, MI and cancer | prolong labor | |
Fentanyl | Strong opioid, adjunct to general anesthesia | severe or chronic pain | less nausea than morphine, truncal rigidity | most potent opiod agonists available; long-acting transdermal skin patch |