Adjuvant analgesics
An adjuvant analgesic is a drug that is not indicated primarily for pain control, but which has an analgesic effect in some painful conditions. Adjuvant analgesics include tricyclic antidepressants and anticonvulsants.1
- Adjuvant analgesic drugs are useful in managing neuropathic pain.
- A trial of an adjuvant analgesic should be considered if the patient describes difficulty in managing pain on conventional analgesia.
- Adjuvant analgesics may be effective at a lower dose than normally prescribed for their primary indication.
- Tricyclic antidepressants and antiepileptic drugs are considered first-line therapies for neuropathic pain.8