Painkiller News and Research

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Research opens alternative therapeutic avenues for treatment of chronic pain

Building on previous findings, scientists have demonstrated that conolidine interacts with the newly identified opioid receptor ACKR3/CXCR7.

3 Jun 2021

Blood sample analysis can help determine the origin of drugs

The opioid fentanyl is not only used in medical practice as a painkiller, but is also a popular recreational drug. In the United States in particular, fentanyl plays an important role in the opioid crisis that claims many victims every day.

27 May 2021

New automated system may reduce opioid misuse

After more than 1,000 orthopedic procedures at a city health system, roughly 61 percent of the opioids prescribed to patients went unused, according to new research.

18 Feb 2021

Study offers a new approach to control post-surgery pain

As surgeons balance the need to control their patients' post-surgery pain with the risk that a routine operation could become the gateway to long-term opioid use or addiction, a new study shows the power of an approach that takes a middle way.

28 Jan 2021

Polymer patch provides controlled release of drugs for post-operative pain management

A Duke-led team of scientists has developed a bio-compatible surgical patch that releases non-opioid painkillers directly to the site of a wound for days and then dissolves away.

11 Jan 2021

San Francisco wrestles with drug approach as death and chaos engulf Tenderloin

In early 2019, Tom Wolf posted a thank-you on Twitter to the cop who had arrested him the previous spring, when he was homeless and strung out in a doorway with 103 tiny bindles of heroin and cocaine in a plastic baggie at his feet.

7 Jan 2021

Surgery studies show progress, opportunity to decrease opioid prescribing

Having surgery means placing complete trust in a team of professionals, and counting on them to fix what's wrong while keeping surgical risks as low as possible.

11 Nov 2020

Aspirin to be tested as a potential COVID-19 treatment as part of RECOVERY trial

Now, in new research, the everyday painkiller aspirin will be evaluated as a potential treatment for COVID-19 in one of the United Kingdom’s most significant trials, aiming to evaluate whether it can reduce the risk of blood clots in infected people.

9 Nov 2020

Some of the main osteoporosis treatments could have a protective effect against COVID-19

Some of the principal treatments for osteoporosis, denosumab, zoledronate and calcium, could have a protective effect against COVID-19 in patients who take them, specifically a 30 to 40% reduction in the rate of infection, according to the results of a joint study by Hospital del Mar, the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Pompeu Fabra University and the Pere Virgili Health Park.

3 Nov 2020

Australian stinging tree could pave way for novel painkillers

Australia is well known for having many of the world's most venomous creatures, ranging from snakes, spiders, jellyfish, centipedes, fish, ticks, bees, and ants. 21 of the 25 most venomous snakes in the world are all from Australia. The country is also home to dangerous plants, like the Australian stinging tree.

17 Sep 2020

Using a pain reliever can increase risk-taking behavior

While acetaminophen is helping you deal with your headache, it may also be making you more willing to take risks, a new study suggests.

8 Sep 2020

Antidepressants are not designed for dementia, shows study

Nearly three-quarters of older adults with dementia have filled prescriptions for medicines that act on their brain and nervous system, but aren't designed for dementia, a new study shows.

19 Aug 2020

Opioid risk is higher for patients transitioning to skilled nursing facilities

Hospital patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities often bring a high-dose painkiller prescription with them, suggesting more attention should be paid to opioid safety for those patients, research from the Oregon State University College of Pharmacy shows.

11 Aug 2020

Study shows link between selenium-deficient diet and paracetamol toxicity

A lack of the mineral selenium in the diet puts people at risk of paracetamol overdose, even when the painkiller is taken at levels claimed to be safe on the packaging, according to collaborative research emerging from the University of Bath and Southwest University in China.

5 Aug 2020

Most New Zealanders stockpile large quantities of paracetamol in their homes, study shows

While paracetamol was the most common substance of enquiry for calls to the National Poisons Centre in 2018, new research reveals most New Zealanders have large quantities of the painkiller stockpiled in their homes.

15 Jul 2020

NIH grant awarded to UConn faculty to develop smartphone sensor to quantify tooth pain

Faculty from the Division of Endodontology and Department of Biomedical Engineering at the UConn School of Dental Medicine recently received a total award of $462,964 from the National Institutes of Dental and Craniofacial Research to test a novel way to quantify tooth pain and to develop a patient-friendly smartphone sensor to measure it.

9 Jun 2020

U.K. doctors test lipid ibuprofen as COVID-19 treatment

The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) Ibuprofen is being tested as a potential treatment for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Doctors in the United Kingdom rolled out a clinical trial of the everyday painkiller to see if it reduces respiratory failure in patients experiencing severe COVID-19 disease.

4 Jun 2020

Drug counterfeiters are using corona pandemic to make profits in Africa

Drug counterfeiters are using the corona pandemic to make profits in Africa selling completely ineffective or even harmful medicines.

14 May 2020

Tarantula venom could be used as a potent pain reliever

Pain relief has come a long way, with many medicines developed to ease pain and promote comfort. Previous research has shown that venom can be a potent pain reliever. Snake venom has been widely studied as a potential source of pain relievers, especially for chronic and debilitating pain. Now, a team of scientists has found that spider venom, particularly from Tarantulas, could be used as a potent pain reliever for various conditions.

14 Apr 2020

Popular painkiller may have more significant effects on the liver than expected

The popular painkiller ibuprofen may have more significant effects on the liver than previously thought, according to new research from the University of California, Davis.

11 Mar 2020