Overview

There are different types of medicines for different types of pain. Everybody responds to medicines differently. This means how well they work, and side effects are very individual. Adding new medicines can make them work together differently.

Pain medicine types

Each of the following categories has similar types of pain medicines that have all been used to help manage pain. Learn how each type works and find links to more detailed information about the individual medicines within that type.

This is general information. If you have questions, talk with your healthcare provider.

Acetaminophen

Acetaminophen can help reduce pain and fever, but we are still learning exactly how it does this. It may work in the brain by changing how pain signals are processed.  You can buy acetaminophen over-the-counter without a prescription and it’s also included in some prescribed medicines.

• Acetaminophen - Oral

NSAID (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories)

NSAIDs help with pain and swelling by blocking certain enzymes in the body. These enzymes make chemicals that cause inflammation. When NSAIDs block them, your body makes fewer of these chemicals, which can reduce pain.

• Ibuprofen - Oral
• Naproxen - Oral
• Diclofenac - Oral
• Ketorolac - Oral
• Meloxicam - Oral
• Celecoxib - Oral
• Indomethacin - Oral
• Aspirin for pain, fever, and inflammation

Antidepressants

These medicines are used to treat depression. They have also been found to help with pain by slowing or blocking nerves to send warning messages from the spinal cord up to the brain.

• Amitriptyline - Oral
• Duloxetine - Oral
• Nortriptyline - Oral
• Venlafaxine - Oral

Anticonvulsants

These medicines are usually used to treat seizures. They have also been found to help with pain. Anticonvulsants can be prescribed to help with nerve pain. They can calm nerves that send too many pain signals to the brain.

• Gabapentin - Oral
• Carbamazepine - Oral
• Pregabalin - Oral
• Topiramate - Oral

Opioids

Opioids are medicines that work by turning on opioid receptors in the body. This changes how nerves send pain signals and how the brain understands those signals. Both actions can help reduce pain.

• Morphine - Oral
• Oxycodone - Oral
• Buprenorphine - Sublingual
• Codeine - Oral
• Fentanyl - Transdermal
• Methadone - Oral
• Tapentadol - Oral

Cannabis

When used for pain, cannabinoids can affect receptors in the body, including endocannabinoid receptors. This can change how nerves send pain signals and how the brain understands those signals. Both effects may help reduce pain.

• Nabilone - Oral
• Medical and non-medical cannabis

Botulinum toxin

• Botulinmu (often called by the trade name Botox) is prescribed to reduce how many headaches someone has, or how severe the headaches are.
• Botox is not used to treat migraines at the time they are happening.  
• When Botox is injected into muscles around your head and neck, it reduces migraine chemicals to stop migraines or make them less severe. 
• Botox can also be used in other muscles when the tightness leads to pain.

Muscle relaxants

Muscle relaxants can be prescribed to help relax muscle spasms. This can be helpful when tight muscles lead to jaw pain, headaches, or a flare up of back pain.

• Baclofen - Oral
• Cyclobenzaprine - Oral

Overview

There are medicines that decrease how often you have headaches (called prophylactic or preventive medications) and medicines to take when you have a headache.

Many of these headache medicines can reduce the number and severity of headaches a person has. The medicines listed below with an * can also be used to treat a headache at the time it’s happening.

• Atogepant - Oral (*)
• Eptinezumab - Injection
• Erenumab - Subcutaneous Injection
• Rimegepant Disintegrating Tablet - Oral (*)
• Ubrogepant - Oral (*)
• Galcanezumab - Subcutaneous Injection

Triptans

Triptans are a group of medicines that help reduce pain from certain types of headaches. They are not used for preventing headaches or reducing how often you get headaches. Consider these "a tool in your toolbox" to help manage particularly difficult headaches, fewer than 10 days per month.

• Almotriptan
• Eletriptan
• Frovatriptan
• Naratriptan
• Rizatritpan
• Sumatriptan
• Sumatriptan and Naproxen
• Zolmitriptan

Other medicines that may help headaches

These 2 medicines are usually used to treat high blood pressure, but they may also be prescribed to help manage headache pain:

Propranolol

Propranolol is a type of medicine called a beta blocker. Beta blockers work by stopping stress chemicals, epinephrine and norepinephrine, from attaching to certain areas in your body called beta receptors. These chemicals are made naturally by your body, especially when you feel stressed.

Propranolol - Oral

Candesartan

Candesartan lowers the activity of a hormone called angiotensin. Angiotensin affects blood pressure but may also play a role in some headaches. By blocking angiotensin, candesartan can help prevent some headaches.

Candesartan - Oral

Overview

Sleep medicines can be bought at a pharmacy or prescribed by a doctor. They are usually used to treat insomnia, which means having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, and it affects your daily functioning.

Medicines for sleep should often only be used after trying good sleep habits and cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBTi).

Medicines for sleep are often prescribed for short periods of time (a few weeks) or for a couple of nights per week and not over long periods of time.

If you choose to use over-the-counter sleep medicines, it’s a good idea to speak to a healthcare provider you trust first to make sure it’s safe for you.

Types of sleep medicines

Many different medicines are used for sleep because they cause drowsiness.

• Lemborexant - Oral
• Daridorexant - Oral
• Zopiclone - Oral
• Eszopiclone - Oral
• Zolpidem - Oral
• Doxepin - Oral
• Temazepam - Oral

These medicines are meant to treat other conditions but can cause drowsiness as a side effect. For this reason, they are sometimes used "off label" for sleep.

• Amitriptyline - Oral
• Nortriptyline - Oral
• Trazodone - Oral
• Quetiapine - Oral
• Mirtazapine - Oral
• Doxylamine - Oral
• Diphenhydramine - Oral

Many natural health products are also used for sleep. Here is a list of natural health products that are sometimes used for sleep: 

• Melatonin - Oral
• Chamomile
• Magnesium Supplement - Oral
• Medical and non-medical cannabis
• Valerian (Valeriana Officinalis) - Oral