Pain Relief & Fever Medicines

Medicines for pain and fever, including the familiar over-the-counter shelf — paracetamol (acetaminophen), ibuprofen and other NSAIDs — and stronger prescription pain medicines.

This page lists all 25 of them in the guide. Open any medicine for its uses, common side effects, major cautions and kidney note.

Medicine	Brand names	Used for
Acetaminophen	Tylenol	Pain relief; Fever reduction
Aspirin	Bayer, Ecotrin	Preventing heart attack and stroke; Pain and fever relief
Baclofen	Lioresal	Muscle spasticity from multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury; Severe spasticity treated with a pump implanted in the back
Buprenorphine	Suboxone (with naloxone), Subutex, Belbuca	Treatment of opioid use disorder; Moderate to severe chronic pain (certain forms)
Celecoxib	Celebrex	Arthritis and joint pain; Acute pain
Codeine	Tylenol with Codeine (combination)	Mild to moderate pain, usually combined with acetaminophen; Cough (in certain combinations)
Cyclobenzaprine	Flexeril	Muscle spasm from strains, short-term; Muscle spasm from back and neck pain, short-term
Diclofenac	Voltaren, Cataflam	Arthritis and joint pain; Muscle and back pain
Fentanyl	Duragesic, Sublimaze	Severe pain during and after surgery (hospital); Long-term severe pain in people already tolerant to opioids (patches)
Hydrocodone	Norco (with acetaminophen), Vicodin (with acetaminophen)	Moderate to severe pain, usually combined with acetaminophen; Severe cough (in certain combination syrups)
Hydromorphone	Dilaudid, Exalgo	Moderate to severe pain, including in hospital; Severe pain in patients who cannot take morphine
Ibuprofen	Advil, Motrin	Pain relief; Fever reduction
Indomethacin	Indocin	Gout attacks; Arthritis and joint inflammation
Ketorolac	Toradol	Moderate to severe short-term pain after surgery; Short-term pain in hospital and emergency settings
Lidocaine	Lidoderm, Xylocaine	Numbing skin before procedures; Nerve pain after shingles (patches)
Meloxicam	Mobic	Arthritis and joint pain; Acute musculoskeletal pain
Methadone	Dolophine, Methadose	Treatment of opioid use disorder (in licensed programs); Severe chronic pain, on specialist advice
Methocarbamol	Robaxin	Muscle spasm from strains and injuries, short-term; Muscle spasm in hospital care (injection form)
Morphine	MS Contin, Kadian	Moderate to severe pain; Severe breathlessness in palliative care, on specialist advice
Naloxone	Narcan	Reversing opioid overdose; Suspected opioid overdose in the community (nasal spray)
Naltrexone	Vivitrol, ReVia	Preventing relapse in opioid use disorder after detox; Alcohol use disorder
Naproxen	Aleve, Naprosyn	Pain relief; Arthritis and joint pain
Oxycodone	OxyContin, Roxicodone	Moderate to severe pain; Severe cancer and end-of-life pain, on specialist care
Tizanidine	Zanaflex	Muscle spasticity; Spasticity from multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury
Tramadol	Ultram	Moderate to moderately severe pain; Chronic pain in selected patients, on clinician judgment

Please note: This page is a patient-education summary, not medical advice, and it deliberately contains no doses. Medicines affect everyone differently — always follow your own prescription and talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.

Pain Relief & Fever Medicines

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