Pain is the most common symptom for which individuals seek medical help. Unfortunately, commercially available pain medications can have unwanted side effects associated with them such as stomach irritation or dizziness. Compounding pain medications can help! It offers personalized pain relief by providing alternative methods of delivery through the process of combining ingredients of traditional oral pain medication in a topical gel, cream, or spray that can be applied directly to the site of pain.
Pain management is essential because uncontrolled pain prevents you from working productively, enjoying recreational activities, or taking pleasure in your time with family and friends. Chronic pain may have a myriad of causes and perpetuating factors, and therefore can be much more difficult to manage than acute pain, requiring a multidisciplinary approach and customized treatment protocols to meet your specific needs. Struggling with chronic pain does not have to be a daily activity. Compounding allows for customized pain management by tailoring the strengths and combinations of pain medications to the individual needs of each patient.
Optimal treatment may involve the use of medications that possess pain-relieving properties, including some antidepressants, anticonvulsants, antiarrhythmics, anesthetics, antiviral agents, and NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) antagonists. By combining various agents which utilize different mechanisms to alter the sensation of pain, physicians have found that smaller concentrations of each medication can be used.
Side effects associated with oral administration can often be avoided when medications are used topically. Studies suggest that there are no great restrictions on the type of drug that can be incorporated into a properly compounded transdermal gel. When medications are administered transdermally, they are not absorbed through the gastrointestinal system and do not undergo first-pass hepatic metabolism.
At Economy Pharmacy in South Tulsa and Muskogee, we work together with you and your physician to solve problems by customizing medications that meet your specific needs. Please ask your physician to contact our compounding pharmacist to discuss the dosage form, strength, and medication or combination that is most appropriate for you. We want to help improve your quality of life by helping to provide relief with less medication and potentially fewer side effects.