After Surgery Medications
You may be prescribed some of the following medications after your surgery. Please use the descriptions as guidance on how to take the medicine and let us know if you have any questions. If you develop a reaction (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, itching, hives, swelling) to one of the medicines, please stop taking them and call us for advice.
- Opioid pain medication: (for example: hydrocodone, oxycodone, or tramadol)
Take these pain medicines every 4-6 hours to prevent or treat pain after your procedure. We recommend taking these medicines with food take with food. We recommend also taking an anti-nausea medication (if prescribed). Another common side effect besides nausea is constipation and if you are taking these medicines we recommend using a stool softener such as Miralax or Senna.
- Anti-inflammatory: (for example: ibuprofen/Motrin)
This will be the most effective medicine for pain control after surgery. Take 1 tablet 3 times daily with meals to avoid stomach upset. Most patients will need to take this medicine for at least 3 days after surgery. this medicine is also available over-the-counter at a lower strength. If you develop stomach upset when taking these medicines, be sure to take an antiacid medication such as omeprazole (Prilosec). We also highly recommend taking acetaminophen/Tylenol as well as an anti-inflammatory as these medicines work better together than either one of them does individually. You can take the acetaminophen/Tylenol (1 extra strength tablet, 3 times daily with meals) at the same time as taking ibuprofen/Motrin
- Anti-septic mouth rinse: (for example: chlorhexidine)
Begin using chlorhexidine mouth rinse (swish and spit) the day after surgery; once in the morning and once before bed for 10 days. To allow the medicine to work well, do not drink or eat for 30 minutes after using this medicine. For some patients who develop a reaction to this mouth rinse, instead swish with salt water (1/4 teaspoon of salt dissolved in an 8 ounce of warm water) after eating & drinking.
- Antibiotic: (for example: penicillin, amoxicillin, clindamycin)
Take as prescribed until all pills are finished. If you develop stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, please let the office know so that we can change your antibiotic to a different type if needed. If you are using oral contraceptive pills (birth control), it is advisable an additional method of birth control as antibiotics will lessen the effectiveness of some contraceptives.