Tag: Analgesia

In the United States, an estimated 45 million medical procedures utilize sedation or anesthesia annually [1.2.1]. A common patient concern is: can you still feel pain under sedation? While the goal is comfort, the answer depends on the level of sedation and medications used.

For many patients, a peripheral nerve block can provide effective pain relief for the first 24 to 48 hours following a knee replacement, a crucial period for immediate post-surgical recovery. Understanding **how long do nerve blocks last after knee replacement** is key to managing expectations and preparing for your rehabilitation journey.

Over 80% of surgical patients report acute postoperative pain, highlighting the need for effective analgesics [1.4.1]. So, is bupivacaine an opioid? No, bupivacaine is a local anesthetic, not an opioid, and it works through a completely different mechanism to block pain signals [1.3.2, 1.2.1].

With the ongoing opioid crisis, healthcare providers are increasingly considering safer alternatives for pain management. Buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist, has a complex pharmacology that makes determining its precise pain equivalent of buprenorphine challenging and requires careful consideration of the formulation, dosage, and patient history.

Mitragynine is the most abundant psychoactive alkaloid found in the kratom plant, and understanding its effects begins with a fundamental question: **Is mitragynine a partial agonist?** The answer is a qualified 'yes', but its complete pharmacological profile is far more complex and involves a unique form of receptor activation.

According to a 2022 survey, over 28.7 million prescriptions were written for tramadol in the United States alone, underscoring its role as a widely used analgesic for moderate to moderately severe pain. Its unique and effective profile is not based on a single mechanism but a synergistic dual-action approach, which is precisely what makes tramadol effective.

Ketamine was first synthesized in 1962 and has a long history as an anesthetic, but its application has expanded significantly in recent years. Answering the question, "Is ket a good pain killer?" is complex, as its effectiveness is highly dependent on the type of pain and its careful administration under medical supervision. For certain refractory pain syndromes, it can be a highly effective analgesic, while for others, its use is limited by a challenging side effect profile.

Remifentanil is a potent, ultra-short-acting synthetic opioid with an analgesic potency similar to fentanyl [1.6.5]. When administered, patients often want to know: what does remifentanil feel like? The experience is characterized by rapid and powerful pain relief coupled with sedation.

With over 8.5 million administrations globally, the 'green whistle,' or Penthrox, has been used for emergency pain relief in some countries since 1975. The central question for many remains: **is the green whistle safe** for its intended use in acute pain management?

For most people, the psychoactive effects of Penthrox (methoxyflurane) subside very quickly, with cognitive and motor functions returning to normal within 30 minutes after stopping inhalation. This rapid 'wear-off' time is a key advantage of Penthrox for short-term pain relief, allowing for faster patient recovery compared to many other sedative-analgesics.