Relief of Pain by Oral Medications

Abstract

A double-blind study of analgesic drug combinations was conducted, involving 100 patients with pain due to cancer. The combinations of 650 mg of aspirin plus either 65 mg of codeine, 9.76 mg of oxycodone, or 25 mg of pentazocine hydrochloride each produced significantly greater pain relief than aspirin alone. Side effects for a single dose of these effective combinations were essentially equal and clinically tolerable. The combinations of 650 mg of aspirin plus either 65 mg of caffeine, 32 mg of pentobarbital sodium, 25 mg of promazine hydrochloride, 75 mg of ethoheptazine citrate, or 100 mg of propoxyphene napsylate did not show significant advantage in analgesic effect over aspirin alone. ( JAMA 229:55-59, 1974)