Post-operative pain control
Pain control following a surgical procedure is very important. When taking any pain medication, whether it is prescribed or over the counter medicine, it is advised to take it with food.
Please use your prescribed pain medication for break through pain. Options to try prior to using prescribed pain pills would be as follows:
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol) 1000 mg every 6 hours as needed for pain, alternating with NSAIDS (Ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin) 600 mg every 6 hours as needed for pain.
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol) 1000 mg every 6 hours as needed for pain, alternating with Naproxen (Aleve) 440 mg every 12 hours as needed for pain.
**Do not take any NSAID/Naproxen if you have been advised against this by a physician in the past. This may be due to poor kidney function, stomach ulcers, or if you are currently taking a blood thinning medication.
Maximum dose of Acetaminophen (Tylenol) in a 24-hour period is 4000 mg per day.
While taking narcotic pain medications, it is recommended to begin a stool softener (Colace, Surfak), or a mild laxative (Miralax, Milk of Magnesia).
Please remove any unused narcotic pain medications from your home by taking them to the following places. They will dispose the medication appropriately. The following areas include:
- Local Police Department
- Waukesha Memorial Hospital Outpatient Pharmacy (East Entrance)
- Wal-Mart
- Walgreens