Medicines that relieve pain are called analgesics. Analgesics act on the nervous system to relieve pain without causing loss of consciousness. Analgesics provide only temporary pain relief because they do not affect the cause of pain. There are two types of analgesics:

nonprescription or over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers for mild and moderate pain

prescription pain relievers for moderate to severe pain

Preventing pain from starting or getting worse is the best way to control it. Some people call this "staying on top of the pain.: It may mean you can use lower doses of a pain reliever than if you wait until the pain gets bad. Don't be afraid to admit that you have pain.

Different pain medications take different lengths of time to work. This is called onset of action. For some medication, it is only a few minutes. For others, it is several hours. If you wait too long to take pain medication, your pain may get worse before the medication helps. Some pain medication must even be taken for several days or weeks before you get the best relief.

If you are in some pain all the time, your pain medication should be taken regularly. It's important to follow the directions on the label. The label may say, "Take one or two tablets three or four times a day for pain." Or the directions may tell you to take the medicine every 4 to 6 hours. You may be able to control your pain with a mild pain reliever if you take it as directed instead of once in a while. Check with your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist if the labeled dose does not help your pain.

Sometimes people in pain think that they should wait as long as they can before taking medicine. This is not the way to control your pain. The pain may get worse if you wait, and it may then take longer for your medicine to give you relief. Waiting also may mean that larger doses or a stronger medicine will be needed to help your pain.

The length of time that a pain relief medicine works is called the duration of action. It varies among the different kinds of pain medicines. It is also different for different people.

Pain relief also depends on how much you take (the dose) and how often you take it (the frequency). If the pain relief is wearing off before you are supposed to take the next dose, be sure to tell your doctor or nurse. Ask if you may take the medicine more often or in larger doses to keep the pain under control.

If the analgesic you are taking does not stop the pain, ask if you can try a different one.