Patient was educated on opioid pain medications and their mechanism of action as follows:
- Opioid pain medications are derived from opium poppy.
- Examples of opioid pain medications include, Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, Codeine, Morphine, and many others.
- Opioid pain medications are usually used to relieve moderate to severe pain.
- Opioid pain medications bind with the opioid receptors in the brain and block the release of excitatory neurotransmitters, such as, substance P, which are involved with pain production. Thus, opioid pain medications primarily modify the pain signaling in the brain.
- Acetaminophen is often combined with the opioid pain medication, to potentiate the action of opioid. Acetaminophen is combined with hydrocodone in Norco and it is combined with Oxycodone in Percocet. Combination of Acetaminophen with Codeine is also extensively used. Also, these individual combinations of opioids with Acetaminophen are available in different dosages for various levels of pain management.
