Analgesics - Practice Questions & MCQ

Medicines used for relieving pain in the body by acting on the central nervous system, are called analgesics. These are of two types:

1. Narcotic (addictive) drugs: These are mainly opium alkaloids and its products such as morphine, codeine, marijuane and heroin. These produce analgesia and sleep and in high doses cause unconsciousness, convulsions and ultimately leading to death. These narcotics are also referred to as opiates because they are obtained from the opium poppy. These are very potent drugs and their chronic use leads to addiction.
2. Non-narcotic (non-addictive) drugs: These are the drugs which are not potent and do not cause addiction. Common drugs are aspirin, analgin, paracetamol, novalgin, butazolidine, brufen and naproxen, etc. These drugs also have antipyretic properties. Aspirin, novalgin and phenacetin act both as antipyretic as well as analgesic. They are quite effective and give immediate relief from pain and fever. Now, aspirin also finds use in the prevention of heart attacks and as a reliever of pain in angina because it has anti-blood clotting action.