Definition: A short-acting pain medication is one that provides relief for a few hours per dose. Short-acting pain medications may be NSAIDs, opioids or non-opioid analgesics.
Most short-acting pain medication lasts for up to three or four hours, but some may last as long as six. A short-acting pain medication may be the only type of pain medication you take. However, your doctor may prescribe a short-acting medication in addition to long-acting pain medication, especially if you tend to have breakthrough pain.
Most short-acting pain medications used to manage chronic pain are taken by mouth. However, they are also available in intravenous forms.
