So if you’re not in pain, can you skip a dose? If you’re in constant pain, can you take more or take it more often?
The short answer is no, not without approval from your healthcare provider. Dosage schedules are in place to minimize your pain while also protecting you from potentially dangerous side effects or accidental overdose. With narcotics, there’s the added risk of addiction.
After surgery, pain medications may also reduce your chances of developing complications such as blood clots or even pneumonia. They can also improve your recovery. Simple acts like walking regularly can help you get better faster, and well-managed pain is important for that.
Before Taking
Before you take any drug for pain, you should know the proper dosage, how long to go between doses, and what potential side effects to watch for. You should also make sure what you’re taking won’t interact negatively with other drugs or nutritional supplements you’re on. Read the packaging information, and if you have any questions, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist.
While you can find reliable medical information here and elsewhere online, that is general information only. You need instructions that are tailored to your specific situation, including your overall health, age, possibly your sex or weight, other medications you take, allergies, risk factors, and what kind of pain you have.
The goal for you and your practitioner should be to use pain medications:
At the lowest effective dosageFor the shortest amount of time possibleWithout compromising your recovery
Your healthcare provider may advise you to check your pain level before taking these powerful and potentially dangerous drugs. The table below has recommendations from the American College of Surgeons about making pain-control decisions when you go home after surgery.
Rest Ice Elevation Meditation or guided imagery Acupuncture Massage Physical or occupational therapy Mild exercise (e. g. , stretching, walking)
**Short-term use of narcotics is considered just a few days. If you have severe pain or increasing pain four or more days after surgery, call your surgeon.
Over-the-Counter Medications
You can buy several pain medications over-the-counter (OTC) and your healthcare provider may advise you to use them for pain from a variety of causes. OTC pain relievers include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and acetaminophen.
NSAIDs
OTC NSAIDs help alleviate pain by lowering your levels of inflammation. They should not be combined with other NSAIDs (either prescription or OTC). OTC anti-inflammatories include:
Advil/Motrin (ibuprofen) Aleve (naproxen) Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid)
Your healthcare provider may recommend OTC NSAIDs along with acetaminophen or narcotics.
Acetaminophen
Acetaminophen relieves pain but not inflammation. It’s the drug in Tylenol and more than 600 other OTC and prescription medications, including many multi-drug cold and flu products that help alleviate sinus pain, body aches, and fever. It’s also in some combination narcotic medications.
Acetaminophen is easier on the stomach than most other pain relievers. It’s also generally safe alongside NSAIDs and/or narcotics as well as many other drugs, which is why it’s in so many combination products.
Most prescription NSAIDs are available in multiple strengths. Do not exceed the amount your practitioner prescribes. If you feel you need more pain management than the medication provides, contact your healthcare provider and ask about your options.
As an epidemic of abuse and overdoses has swept the United States, opioid use has become increasingly controversial. Many people have concerns about taking these drugs, especially for the long term. Healthcare providers are concerned as well, often requiring people with chronic pain to sign contracts promising to take the medications only as prescribed. Federal law limits access to these drugs, as well.
A person’s risk of addiction depends on many factors, but research shows it’s rare in people who’ve used narcotics for five days or fewer after surgery. Taking them for longer increases the risk, as does taking higher amounts than prescribed or taking them recreationally. That makes it extremely important to follow your healthcare provider’s dosage instructions.
Over time, you can develop a tolerance to narcotics, meaning it takes more to get the same effect. However, it doesn’t mean your body can tolerate more without increasing the risk of side effects or overdose. This is part of why it’s important to start at and stay at the lowest possible dose at which you get relief.
Some of the stronger narcotics, such as morphine and oxycodone, don’t have a maximum daily limit because they’re administered around-the-clock for people with unrelenting pain, and at increasingly higher doses. The amount needed and tolerated is highly personal and depends on a multitude of variables.
Some narcotics, and especially combination or extended-release products, do have established daily maximums.
Can I take Tylenol and Advil together?
Yes. There is no interaction between acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil) when taken together. However, some people do get an upset stomach by taking more than one medication at once, so you may want to space the doses out over a few hours. Also, never exceed the recommended dose for each medication.
A Word From Verywell
It’s always easier to prevent pain than to treat it. Skipping a dose or waiting until you feel the pain to take your meds could leave you suffering unnecessarily and slow down your recovery. If you think you’re overmedicated or undermedicated, or if you’re having side effects that bother you, talk to your healthcare provider. They know all of the variables that need to be considered when deciding on your pain-management regimen.
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