• Anita Perpétua Carvalho Rocha, Lino Lemonica, and Barros Guilherme Antônio Moreira de GA.
• Departamento de Anestesiologia, Serviço de Terapia Antálgica e Cuidados Paliativos, FMB, UNESP.
• Rev Bras Anestesiol. 2002 Sep 1; 52 (5): 628-43.

Background And ObjectivesChronic pain is a challenge for modern medicine. New methods and drugs have been proposed to control pain. Intrathecal administration is a feasible and safe option, but still requires further investigations. This study aimed at reviewing available and well established drugs as well as new promising alternatives for the daily practice.ContentsSeveral neuraxial drugs with analgesic action are reviewed. Desirable and undesirable effects of opioids, local anesthetics, alpha2-agonists, excitatory and inhibitory aminoacid antagonists, acetylcholine, acetyl-cholinesterase inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, adenosine, serotonin, tricyclic antidepressants and prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors are analyzed.ConclusionsSeveral advances were achieved in controlling pain with intrathecal administration of the above-mentioned drugs. Certainly some will be used, thus enriching therapeutic armamentarium, and others will be temporarily or permanently abandoned. However, several clinical and experimental studies will still be needed for knew knowledge to be incorporated and safely used by professionals dealing with chronic pain.

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