# pain meds **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 10, 2006, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pain-meds/372125 "2006-09-10T04:22:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![parrot\_recipes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@parrot\_recipes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/parrot_recipes)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2006, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pain-meds/372125/1 "2006-09-10T04:22:16Z")
I’m not sure this has a factual answer so here it is. I had been having a lot of pain in my elbow, and was given pain medicine by my dr. for it. I finally decided to take it and not only did it make the pain much less, its still less, and I haven’t taken it since. How does this happen? Taking pain med cannot make your body forget it had pain and get much better just from that can it? I’ve had a dr. imply this is so. Opinions? ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2006, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pain-meds/372125/2 "2006-09-10T05:32:41Z")
IANAD, but there are a number of possible logical explanations. 1. The pain would have gone away in time anyway. Your pain meds helped you feel better until that happened. 2. The pain was due to some condition that the medicine helped. For example, inflammation, or a muscle spasm. 3. While you were in pain, the pain caused you to do something that aggravated the underlying condition. Once the pain was alleviated, the underlying condition improved. Of course, since I know nothing about the medicine you were taking or the condition you had that the doctor diagnosed, all of these could be wrong. The doctor who prescribed it would be the best one to explain the mechanism. ---
**Author:** ![parrot\_recipes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@parrot\_recipes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/parrot_recipes)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2006, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pain-meds/372125/3 "2006-09-10T06:32:27Z")
It was ibuprofen. But thanks! ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2006, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pain-meds/372125/4 "2006-09-10T06:40:16Z")
Ibufrofin is an anti-inflammatory, not an analgesic per-se. In settling the original problem, which from your description was caused by spasm/inflammation of the rendered bits, it also solved the pain issue by allowing the bits to recover without added trauma. There ya go!! Good medicine in action!! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![parrot\_recipes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@parrot\_recipes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/parrot_recipes)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2006, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pain-meds/372125/5 "2006-09-10T07:01:45Z")
I love this board. You can find things out, ask, learn. You guys rock. Except for you-know-who. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2006, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pain-meds/372125/6 "2006-09-10T16:17:50Z")
[QUOTE=kambuckta] Ibufrofin is an anti-inflammatory, not an analgesic per-se. In settling the original problem, which from your description was caused by spasm/inflammation of the rendered bits, it also solved the pain issue by allowing the bits to recover without added trauma. [/QUOTE] Sorry, but that’s _wrong_. Ibuprofen **is** an analgesic, and it works by decreasing prostaglandin synthesis via cyclo-oxygenase inhibition. This results in desensitization in pain nerve fibers. This effect works in minutes to hours after taking the first dose. Ibuprofen is an antipyretic. The prostaglandin inhibition in the hypothalamus causes lower temperatures. This effect is seen rapidly. Lastly Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory medication, via the same inhibition. But this effect isn’t really apparent unless the medication is taken regularly for at least a few days, and usually a few weeks.