Topical Nonprescription Pain Medications for Adults

JAMA Network (Vordenberg, S. E.) published on 11.03.2023 an article, “Topical Nonprescription Pain Medications for Adults.” In this article post, Vordenberg talks about nonprescription pain medications that you can buy without a prescription. These medications are applied directly to the skin to relieve pain.

Topical Nonprescription Pain Medications are pain-relieving drugs that you can buy without a prescription and are applied on the skin, making them easy to use. They work by effectively treating pain from various conditions, both short-term and long-term. Since they are applied on the skin, they are less likely to cause side effects or interact with other medications compared to pills. Pain relief usually starts within a few days of using them.

There are multiple types of Topical Medications, including Topical NSAIDs, Topical Capsaicin and Topical Lidocaine. Topical NSAIDs are used for sprains, strains, and osteoarthritis pain and come in gels, creams, and patches. These are not recommended if you’re already taking oral NSAIDs, and may cause skin reactions. Topical Capsaicin is derived from chili peppers that can decrease the sensation of pain and are used for pain from conditions like osteoarthritis, shingles, neuropathy, and chronic neck pain. These can cause a burning sensation on the skin. Topical Lidocaine is a local anesthetic that numbs the skin and is used for various pains like minor skin irritation, shingles, and postoperative pain. It comes in different forms like aerosol, cream, and patches.

The article lists tips for topical nonprescription pain medications. Tips lie, don’t use more than one topical pain medication on the same area unless your doctor says so, don’t apply them on skin with cuts, infections, or rashes, consider wearing gloves when applying and wash hands afterward, and more. It also mentions to stop use if you get redness or irritation and to seek emergency care if you develop hives, swelling, difficulty breathing, or a severe skin reaction.

For More Information

Read the Full article on the JAMA Network website