Medications for the treatment of pelvic pain conditions

Pain medications are mainly used to ease symptoms, help you keep functioning, and improve quality of life. They usually won’t take all the pain away, but they can make it easier to do the things that matter to you.

They work best when combined with other strategies, like keeping active and looking after your overall health.

Different medications act in different ways. What works well for one person or one type of pain may not help another. The more you understand your options, the easier it is to choose the right approach for your situation.

Start with more simple medicines such as paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (like ibuprofen, naproxen, or diclofenac). These often work better in combination than on their own and are most effective when taken before pain becomes severe.

Other medications, such as amitriptyline, duloxetine, pregabalin or gabapentin, can help calm the nervous system and reduce pain sensitisation.

It’s important to avoid opioids (like codeine, oxycodone or tapentadol) for ongoing pain. While they can help short term—such as for the first couple of days after surgery—they often worsen pain over time by sensitising the nervous system. They also carry risks like dependence, tolerance and addiction. If you’ve had surgery, aim to stop opioids early and use other strategies for recovery.

There’s more information on this website about recovering from laparoscopy, non-pharmacological pain management approaches to minimise the need for opioids. Remember, always speak to your GP or Specialist about what is right for you.

What is a compounded pharmacy?

A compounded pharmacy is a specialised pharmacy that prepares medications specifically for an individual patient. Rather than supplying standard, mass-produced medicines, compounded pharmacies create customised formulations based on a doctor’s prescription. This may involve adjusting the dose, changing the form of the medication (such as a cream, capsule, or liquid), or combining ingredients to better suit a patient’s needs. Compounded medications are prepared one patient at a time to support specific therapeutic requirements when standard options are not suitable.

Some of the medications described on this page are not available as standard, mass-produced products and may need to be specially prepared by a compounded pharmacy to meet an individual patient’s prescribed needs.