Arthritis: Narcotic Pain Medication

There are a variety of strong pain relievers, containing narcotic drugs, that your doctor may prescribe to help relieve your arthritis pain.

Often, these pain relievers are combined with acetaminophen (Tylenol). They include:

• Tylenol with Codeine (acetaminophen with codeine)
• Lorcet, Lortab, Vicodin (hydrocodone with acetaminophen)
• Morphine
• OxyContin, Roxicodone (oxycodone)
• Percocet. (oxycodone with acetaminophen)
• Darvon (propoxyphene)
• Darvocet (propoxyphene with acetaminophen)

Side Effects

Alcohol and drugs containing acetaminophen or Tylenol don't mix. The combination can greatly increase your risk of severe liver damage.

When you take narcotic drugs, you also run the risk of developing a dependence on the drugs. That means that you need more and more of the drugs in order to get the same effect. Also, narcotic drugs can cause constipation, drowsiness, dry mouth, and difficulty urinating.

How Do Narcotics Relieve Pain?

Unlike ibuprofen, Motrin, Aleve, or other NSAID drugs,  narcotic pain relievers do not decrease the inflammation that occurs with arthritis. Narcotic drugs work on pain receptors on nerve cells to relieve pain.

If you have pain that isn't relieved by a narcotic drug or NSAID alone, speak to your doctor about combining the two. In some cases, an NSAID/narcotic combination may relieve pain better than either alone.

Reviewed by the doctors at The Cleveland Clinic Department of Rheumatic and Immunologic Diseases.