PlainMeds provides educational information only. This is not medical advice. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist.

Medication class

Pain Relief

Over-the-counter and prescription pain medications, including NSAIDs, acetaminophen, and opioid analgesics for acute and chronic pain.

Data updated 2026-05-15

55
Medications
41
With a generic
89%
Avg generic savings
8
In active shortage

Drug class assignments follow the FDA openFDA therapeutic classification, and clinical details are drawn from FDA Structured Product Labeling (DailyMed). See the full sources below.

PlainMeds tracks 55 pain relief medications compiled from official FDA drug labels, including adalimumab, etanercept, prednisone.

Pain Relief medications are grouped here by the openFDA therapeutic classification and drawn from FDA Structured Product Labeling. PlainMeds lists 55 in this class, 41 with a lower-cost generic available (averaging about 89% versus brand). Each drug page covers labeled uses, FAERS-reported side effects, interactions, recalls and NADAC pricing. This is educational information from public data, not medical advice.

What pain relief drugs cost

Highest NADAC acquisition cost per unit in this class, brand and generic

per unit

What this shows secukinumab is the costliest in this class at $7207.00/unit; generics in the same class run a fraction of that.

Source CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC)

Generic availability vs other classes

75% of pain relief medications have a generic available, ranking #10 of 22 therapeutic classes (the typical class sits near 74%).

47% (lowest class) 100% (highest class)

Source: CMS NADAC generic-availability flags across all PlainMeds therapeutic classes. The dot is this class; the line is the cross-class median.

abatacept

Orencia

Orencia is a medicine that helps to reduce inflammation.

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acetaminophen OTC

Tylenol

Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is a medicine that can relieve pain and reduce fever.

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acetaminophen/hydrocodone

Vicodin, Norco, Lortab

This medicine contains acetaminophen and hydrocodone.

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acetaminophen/oxycodone

Percocet

Percocet is a strong pain medicine.

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adalimumab

Humira

Idacio is a medicine that blocks a protein called TNF.

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allopurinol

Zyloprim

Allopurinol is a medicine that lowers uric acid levels in your body.

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baricitinib

Olumiant

Olumiant contains baricitinib.

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buprenorphine (pain)

Belbuca, Butrans

Belbuca is a medicine used to treat severe, long-lasting pain.

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butorphanol

Stadol

Butorphanol nasal spray is a strong pain medicine.

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capsaicin OTC

Zostrix, Qutenza

Capsaicin cream is a medicine that helps relieve minor aches and pains.

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celecoxib

Celebrex

Celecoxib (Celebrex) is a medicine that reduces pain and swelling.

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certolizumab

Cimzia

Cimzia is a medicine that blocks a protein called TNF.

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codeine

Codeine Sulfate

This medicine contains acetaminophen and codeine.

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colchicine

Colcrys, Mitigare

Colchicine is a medicine used to prevent or treat gout flares and Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF).

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diclofenac OTC

Voltaren, Cataflam

Diclofenac is a gel that helps with arthritis pain in your hands, wrists, elbows, feet, ankles, or knees.

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diclofenac topical OTC

Voltaren Gel, Pennsaid

Diclofenac topical gel is a medicine that helps relieve arthritis pain.

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diflunisal

Dolobid

Diflunisal is a medicine that can help with pain and swelling.

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etanercept

Enbrel

Enbrel is a medicine that blocks a protein called tumor necrosis factor (TNF).

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etodolac

Lodine

Etodolac is a pain reliever and anti-inflammatory medicine.

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febuxostat

Uloric

Febuxostat (Uloric) helps manage high uric acid levels in adults with gout.

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fentanyl

Duragesic, Actiq

Fentanyl Citrate Injection is a strong opioid pain medicine.

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golimumab

Simponi

Simponi Aria is a medicine that blocks a protein called TNF.

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hydromorphone

Dilaudid

Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) is a strong pain medicine.

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hydroxychloroquine

Plaquenil

Hydroxychloroquine is a drug used to treat or prevent malaria, and to treat certain autoimmune diseases.

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ibuprofen OTC

Advil, Motrin

Ibuprofen is a drug that can reduce pain and fever.

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indomethacin

Indocin

Indomethacin is a drug that reduces pain and swelling.

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infliximab

Remicade

Inflectra is a medicine that blocks a protein called TNF.

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ketoprofen

Orudis

Ketoprofen extended-release capsules are a type of NSAID medicine.

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ketorolac

Toradol

Ketorolac (Toradol) is a strong pain reliever.

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leflunomide

Arava

Leflunomide is a drug that can help reduce the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

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lidocaine topical

Lidoderm

Lidoderm is a skin patch that contains the numbing medicine lidocaine.

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mefenamic acid

Ponstel

Mefenamic acid is a medicine used to treat mild to moderate pain and menstrual cramps.

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meloxicam

Mobic

Meloxicam is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).

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meperidine

Demerol

Meperidine is a strong pain medicine.

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methotrexate

Trexall, Otrexup

Methotrexate is a drug that can treat certain cancers, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and other conditions.

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methylprednisolone

Medrol

Methylprednisolone (Medrol) is a corticosteroid medicine.

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morphine

MS Contin, Kadian

Morphine is a strong pain medicine.

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nabumetone

Relafen

Nabumetone is a medicine that helps reduce pain and swelling.

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nalbuphine

Nubain

Nalbuphine injection is a strong pain medicine.

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naproxen OTC

Aleve, Naprosyn

Naproxen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).

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oxaprozin

Daypro

Oxaprozin (Daypro) is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).

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oxycodone

OxyContin, Roxicodone

Oxycodone is a strong pain medicine.

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pegloticase

Krystexxa

Krystexxa is a medicine used to treat chronic gout in adults when other treatments don't work well enough.

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piroxicam

Feldene

Piroxicam is a medicine that reduces pain and swelling.

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prednisone

Deltasone, Rayos

Prednisone is a steroid medicine that reduces inflammation in the body.

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probenecid

Benemid

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sarilumab

Kevzara

Kevzara is a medicine that can help treat rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica and polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

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secukinumab

Cosentyx

Cosentyx is a medicine that can help reduce inflammation in your body.

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sulfasalazine

Azulfidine

Sulfasalazine is a drug that reduces inflammation in the body.

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sulindac

Clinoril

Sulindac is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).

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sumatriptan

Imitrex

Sumatriptan injection is a medicine used to treat migraine and cluster headaches.

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tapentadol

Nucynta

Nucynta is a strong pain medicine.

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tofacitinib

Xeljanz

Xeljanz is a medicine that reduces inflammation in your body.

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tramadol

Ultram, ConZip

Tramadol extended-release is a strong pain medicine.

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upadacitinib

Rinvoq

Rinvoq contains upadacitinib and it is a medicine that reduces inflammation in your body.

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Compare abatacept vs acetaminophen side-by-side →

Understanding the Pain Relief Category

The Pain Relief category currently lists 55 medications in this database, each drawn from FDA drug labels and grouped by therapeutic classification. Over-the-counter and prescription pain medications, including NSAIDs, acetaminophen, and opioid analgesics for acute and chronic pain. Clinical guidelines usually treat these medications as a reference set when weighing treatment options, switching strategies, or comparing safety profiles.

Within this category you'll find examples such as adalimumab, etanercept, prednisone, alongside 52 other entries. Each drug page links to the same underlying FDA data, labeled uses, adverse events reported to FAERS, documented interactions, warnings, and, where available, NADAC acquisition pricing from CMS. Over-the-counter and prescription options can sit in the same category but follow different regulatory pathways: OTC products have simplified labeling aimed at self-care, while prescription drugs include detailed monographs meant for clinicians. That distinction matters when comparing dosing, monitoring requirements, and contraindications.

Browsing a category is a research starting point, not a treatment recommendation. Effectiveness, tolerability, and cost for any individual patient depend on the specific condition, comorbidities, other medications, genetics, and insurance coverage, none of which can be inferred from a category list alone. FAERS report counts, recall history, and shortage status all evolve as new data is reported to the FDA, so the relative standing of drugs in this class can shift month to month. This page is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, a licensed clinician is the right source for personalized guidance.

Sources: FDA Drug Labels (SPL); openFDA therapeutic classification.

Explore other categories

Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.