Pain Killer Comparison Chart

Medicine for Pain Relief

What are the best pain pills? What are the dosages?
Which pain killers have the worst side-effects?
This chart lists the pain relief ability of the
most common pain medication, both
prescription and non-prescription.

Here is a comparison table summary of popular pain medication.

The pain relievers below were ranked by effectiveness for chronic back pain, by a Harvard Study.

Each pain medication was rated for effectiveness on a scale of from 1 (aspirin) to 10 (morphine).

Brand Name	generic name	Dose (per pill)	Back Pain Score	Uses According to Label	Best Uses (according to Consumer's Guide)	Problems Caused
Over-the-counter (OTC) Pain Medicine (NSAID= Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflamatory Drug)
Anacin Bayer Bufferin Ecotrin	aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) NSAID	81mg 325mg	1	Minor aches, pains cold, headache, muscular ache	minor aches and pains	aspirin allergy, asthma, upset stomach, Reye's Syndrome
Anacin non Excedrin Tylenol	acetaminophen (N-(4-hydroxyphenyl) acetamide)	500mg	2	Headache	fever, if allergic to aspirin, arthritis, rheumatism, musculo-skeletal	7-04-06- Tylenol Liver Damage "Tylenol is the No. 1 cause of acute liver failure in the U.S." "[Acetaminophen] is a leading cause of death from pharmaceuticals,"
Vanquish	Combination of aspirin andacetaminophen NSAID	325mg 500mg	2.25	Headache Muscle ache	headache	not for children and teens
Advil Motrin Nuprin	ibuprofen (2-(4-Isobutyl-phenyl)- propionic acid) (analgesic, antipyretic) NSAID	200mg	2.5	Aches, pains, colds, toothache, muscle aches, backache, menstrual, fever	fever, muscle ache	aspirin allergy, asthma, upset stomach, not for last trimester
Aleve Naproxen	naproxen sodium (anti-inflammatory) NSAID	220mg	3	Joint and muscle pain	arthritis, rheumatism, musculo-skeletal	Naproxen heart risk upset stomach, not for nursing mothers
Motrin 800	ibuprofen (analgesic, antipyretic) NSAID	800mg	3.5	(listed above)	(as above)	(as above)
Actron Orudis	ketoprofen (anti-inflammatory) NSAID	12.5mg	3.6?	Anti-inflammatory, analgesic	arthritis	see - Consumer's Guide - Feb.1987
	More Warnings on OTC Drugs: NSAIDS Increase Blood Pressure Aspirin and NSAIDS Cause Stomach Bleeding Resulting In Death
Prescription Pain Medicine
Brand Name	generic name	Dose (per pill)	Back Pain Score	Uses According to Label	na	Problems Caused
Celebrex	celecoxib 4-[5-(4-methylphenyl) -3-(trifluoromethyl) -1H-pyrazol-1-yl] benzenesulfonamide (COX-2 inhibitor) NSAID	100mg 200mg	3.7*	Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, short term pain, painful menstruation	na	Celebrex heart risk stomach bleeding, heart attack, stroke
Ultram	tramadol (±)cis-2-[(dimethylamino) methyl] -1-(3-methoxyphenyl) cyclohexanol hydrochloride	50mg	3.8*	Moderate pain	na	nausea, constipation, dizziness, headache, drowsiness, vomiting
				* Note: The scores for Celebrex and Ultram are estimates (3.7*and 3.8*). These two drugs did not exist at the time of the study.
Demerol	meperidine HCl	50mg 100mg	4	The opiates and synthetic opiates (from 4 down to 10) are the most effective pain killers, but they are subject to the most abuse, and prescription pain killer addiction. All the opiates and derivatives are habit-forming. The inclusion of high amounts of acetaminophen with all these medications is a rather CRUEL attempt by the pharmaceutical companies to prevent abuse, since overdosing will result in the destruction of the liver. I would describe this, at best, as "not very nice". The Christian puritanical ethic at work, destroying lives. ** The score for Norco is an estimate. It did not exist at the time of the study.
Lorcet	hydrocodone and acetaminophen	5-500mg	5
Vicodin	hydrocodone and acetaminophen	5-500mg	5
Lorcet Plus	hydrocodone and acetaminophen	7.5-650mg	5.5
Vicodin ES	hydrocodone and acetaminophen	7.5-750mg	6
Norco	hydrocodone-APAP, (acetaminophen)	5-325mg 7.5-325mg 10-325mg	6.5**
Lortab	hydrocodone and acetaminophen	10-500mg	7
Vicodin HP	hydrocodone and acetaminophen	10-660mg	7
Percocet	oxycodone HCl with acetaminophen	2.5-325mg 5- 325mg 7.5-325mg 7.5-500mg 10-325mg 10-650mg	7	Oxycodone is very effective. ** The score for oxycodone is an estimate. It did not exist at the time of the study.
Percodan	oxycodone HCl, oxycodone terephthalate, and aspirin	4.50mg 0.38mg 325mg	7
Oxycontin 40	oxycodone HCl	40mg	8.5
Duragesic Fentora Actiq	fentanyl	Skin patch Lollipop	9	** The score for fentanyl is an estimate. It did not exist at the time of the study. Fentanyl is very effective for gunshot wounds, and fragmentation wounds. However, there have been serious problems with fentanyl dosing (over-dosing). Death has resulted from simply handling the medication with the fingers. One must use great care when handling fentanyl.
RMS MS Contin	morphine sulfate	15mg 30mg 60mg 100mg	10	Morphine is the SECOND strongest pain relief medicine available.
Dilaudid (tabs) Palladone(caps)	hydromorphone hydrochloride AKA dihydromorphinone	1mg 2mg 3mg 4mg	11 (was 9)	I recently received a very thoughtful email from a Special Operations medic. He stated that he has extensively administered all of these top medications. He concludes that Dilaudid is several times more effective than morphine, and that it has fewer side effects, although just as serious. I have therefore moved Dilaudid to the top of the list.