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Adjunctive analgesic therapy
L A Lamont1, W J Tranquilli, K A Mathews
1Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, USA.
The Veterinary Clinics of North America. Small Animal Practice
|August 10, 2000
Summary
Adjuvant analgesics enhance pain relief when used with other pain medications. These drugs are effective for chronic pain, including neuropathic and cancer pain, and their use in animals is growing.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Pain Management
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Adjuvant analgesics have limited pain-relieving effects alone.
- They are crucial for managing refractory pain and certain chronic pain syndromes.
- Individualized pain management often requires combination drug therapy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role and efficacy of adjuvant analgesics in pain management.
- To highlight specific classes of adjuvant analgesics and their applications.
- To discuss the increasing use and reported success of these agents in veterinary medicine.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of adjuvant analgesic therapies.
- Analysis of drug classes including tricyclic antidepressants, anticonvulsants, NMDA receptor antagonists, and local anesthetics.
- Examination of evidence for efficacy in neuropathic and cancer pain.
Main Results:
- Adjuvant analgesics significantly enhance the effects of primary analgesics.
- Specific agents demonstrate efficacy in treating neuropathic and cancer pain.
- Anecdotal evidence suggests growing success in animal pain management.
Conclusions:
- Adjuvant analgesics are vital components of comprehensive pain management strategies.
- Their application extends from refractory pain to first-line treatments for specific chronic pain conditions.
- Further research into veterinary applications is warranted given anecdotal successes.