ABSTRACT
As such, medications other than opioids can be effective as adjuvant analgesics. For pain management, steroids can be effective for treating bone, inflammatory and neuropathic pain, as well as pain caused by bowel obstruction, organ capsule stretch, lymphedema, and headache caused by increased intracranial pressure. Gabapentin and pregabalin, commonly referred to as gabapentinoids, are the two anticonvulsant medications with the most evidence for use as an adjuvant analgesic, specifically targeted at neuropathic pain. Of the other anticonvulsants that could be considered for pain management, carbamazepine, and oxcarbazepine might be useful for trigeminal neuralgia, though drug-drug interactions may limit use. The evidence for using bisphosphonates to treat bone pain from cancer is mixed. Literature supports the use of scopolamine as an effective medication for treating pain in the setting of inoperable malignant bowel obstruction.
