Analgesic

1. An analgesic (colloquially known as painkiller) is any member of the diverse group of drugs used to relieve pain.
2. Examples of frequently used analgesic are aspirin, paracetamol and codeine.

Aspirin

1. Aspirin or acetylsalicylic acid is a drug in the family of salicylates, often used as an
   
   1. analgesic (against minor pains and aches),
   2. antipyretic (against fever), and
   3. anti-inflammatory (Such as arthritis).
2. It has also an anticoagulant (blood thinning) effect and is used in long-term low-doses to prevent heart attacks.

Side Effect

1. Several hundred fatal overdoses of aspirin occur annually, but the vast majority of its use is beneficial.
2. Its primary undesirable side effects, especially in stronger doses, are gastrointestinal distress (including ulcers and stomach bleeding) and tinnitus.
3. Another side effect, due to its anticoagulant properties, is increased bleeding in menstruating women.

Paracetamol

1. Paracetamol (or acetaminophen), is a popular analgesic and antipyretic (against fever) drug that is used for the relief of fever, headaches, and other minor aches and pains.
2. It is a major ingredient in numerous cold and flu medications and many prescription analgesics.
3. It is remarkably safe in standard doses, but because of its wide availability, deliberate or accidental overdoses are not uncommon.
4. Due to its low side effect, paracetamol is used to replace aspirin especially treatments involve children.
5. Panadol is one the most popular brand of paracetamol in Malaysia.

Codeine

1. Codeine, when use in high dose, is an analgesic which stronger than aspirin and paracetamol.
2. Approved indications for codeine include:
   
   1. cough – though its efficacy has been disputed.
   2. diarrhea
   3. mild-to-moderate pain
3. Continuous consumption of codeine will cause addiction.