Common Side Effects Of Analgesics

Constipation

Constipation is one of the most common side effects that occur in individuals who take acetaminophen and opioid-based analgesics. The opioid receptors in an individual's digestive tract are very concentrated. When these receptors are activated by taking this medication, several mechanisms combine to produce constipation. First, the receptors cause healthy gastric emptying to become impaired in an affected individual, increasing the general amount of time food stays in the digestive tract. Next, the activation of these receptors causes a decrease in mucous secretions in the gastrointestinal tract, causing higher resistance against the food that moves through it. Furthermore, the activation of the opioid receptors in the digestive tract causes an increase in the reabsorption of fluid from the food, making stool dry and hard. Most individuals who use analgesics for longer than a couple of weeks typically need to take additional medication to manage this side effect.

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Fatigue

Fatigue describes a state in which an individual has a reduced amount of energy and decreased general efficiency. Fatigue is a relatively common side effect in individuals who take acetaminophen and analgesics that contain opioids. Opioids reduce the amount of pain an individual feels by stopping the pain signals from reaching the brain. However, the medication has to have a suppressive effect on the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems to implicate that mechanism in the body. The autonomic nervous system is responsible for multiple functions the body performs subconsciously. By depressing these functions in the autonomic and central nervous systems, the processes that dictate an individual's alertness and energy are also depressed. Fatigue may be persistent with the use of this type of medication, or it may dissipate as the individual's body adapts to the effects of the medication on their nervous system.

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