Pentazocine as an Analgesic

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Abstract
Pentazocine, a morphine antagonist derived from the benzomorphan nucleus, was studied by means of a double-blind clinical investigation in 16 patients having chronic pain. In a 40 mg dose pentazocine approaches the analgesic effectiveness of 20 mg of morphine sulfate and produces basically the same side effects except for a slight increase in the incidence and severity of drowsiness. At 20 mg dosage pentazocine produces a lower incidence of side effects than morphine sulfate 20 mg while still maintaining a fairly high level of pain relief over at least two hours. The discovery of analgesic activity in this drug is important since it is a morphine antagonist and has not yet been found to produce or support tolerance or dependence.