What are the brand names of common medications for pain, fever, inflammation, and infections?

Brand Names of Common Medications for Pain, Fever, Inflammation, and Infections

The most common brand names for pain, fever, inflammation, and infection medications include Advil/Motrin (ibuprofen), Tylenol (acetaminophen), Aleve (naproxen), Avapro (irbesartan), and various antibiotics like Augmentin (amoxicillin-clavulanate) and Levaquin (levofloxacin).

Pain, Fever, and Inflammation Medications

NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs)

• Ibuprofen: Sold as Advil and Motrin 1, 2
• Naproxen: Sold as Aleve (over-the-counter) or Naprosyn (prescription) 3
• Aceclofenac: Various brand names depending on country 4

Acetaminophen/Paracetamol

• Acetaminophen: Sold as Tylenol in the United States 5, 6

Medications for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Other Inflammatory Conditions

Conventional Synthetic DMARDs

• Methotrexate: Sold as Rheumatrex, Trexall 7
• Hydroxychloroquine: Sold as Plaquenil 7
• Sulfasalazine: Sold as Azulfidine 7
• Leflunomide: Sold as Arava 7

Biologic DMARDs

• TNF Inhibitors:

  • Etanercept (Enbrel)
  • Adalimumab (Humira)
  • Infliximab (Remicade)
  • Golimumab (Simponi)
  • Certolizumab pegol (Cimzia) 7

• Other Biologics:

  • Abatacept (Orencia) - T cell costimulatory inhibitor
  • Tocilizumab (Actemra) and Sarilumab (Kevzara) - IL-6 receptor inhibitors
  • Rituximab (Rituxan) - anti-CD20 antibody 7

Targeted Synthetic DMARDs

• JAK Inhibitors:

  • Tofacitinib (Xeljanz)
  • Baricitinib (Olumiant)
  • Upadacitinib (Rinvoq) 7

• PDE4 Inhibitors:

  • Apremilast (Otezla) 7

Medications for Hypertension

Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARBs)

• Irbesartan: Sold as Avapro or Aprovel 8
• Irbesartan + Hydrochlorothiazide: Sold as Avalide 8
• Losartan: Sold as Cozaar 7
• Valsartan: Sold as Diovan 7

Calcium Channel Blockers

• Amlodipine: Sold as Norvasc 7

ACE Inhibitors

• Lisinopril: Sold as Prinivil, Zestril 7
• Ramipril: Sold as Altace 7
• Enalapril: Sold as Vasotec 7

Antibiotics for Infections

For Respiratory Infections

• Amoxicillin-clavulanate: Sold as Augmentin 7

• Cephalosporins:

  • Cefuroxime-axetil (Ceftin)
  • Cefpodoxime-proxetil (Vantin)
  • Cefotiam-hexetil 7

• Fluoroquinolones:

  • Levofloxacin (Levaquin)
  • Moxifloxacin (Avelox) 7

• Macrolides:

  • Azithromycin (Zithromax)
  • Clarithromycin (Biaxin)
  • Erythromycin (various brands) 7

For Streptococcal Infections

• Penicillin: Sold as Pen VK (oral) 7
• Clindamycin: Sold as Cleocin 7

Important Considerations

• When choosing pain medications, NSAIDs like ibuprofen (Advil/Motrin) may provide better fever reduction than acetaminophen (Tylenol) in some cases 9, 6

• For acute pain management, topical NSAIDs may provide the best benefit-harm ratio for musculoskeletal injuries 7

• For sinusitis treatment, amoxicillin-clavulanate (Augmentin) is often recommended as first-line therapy 7

• For cancer pain management, a combination of acetaminophen (Tylenol), NSAIDs, and sometimes opioid medications may be necessary, along with adjuvant medications like gabapentin (Neurontin) or pregabalin (Lyrica) 7

• Many medications are available in both brand name and generic forms, with identical active ingredients but potentially different inactive ingredients 7