Medications After Surgery

For most patients, two medications will be prescribed for use after surgery an antibiotic and a pain medication. Prescriptions will either be sent to you via US Mail, or called in to your pharmacy before your surgery date. It is important that you get your medication prior to your surgery. It is not necessary, however, to start taking them prior to surgery.

The antibiotic most commonly used is KEFLEX. Make sure that you have no allergies to it or any similar antibiotics such as penicillin, ampicillin, ceclor, or amoxicillin.

The pain medication we prescribe will be either VICODIN, PERCOCET, or LORTAB. If you know that one works better for you than another, please let us know. VICODIN and LORTAB can be called in over the phone to your pharmacy; PERCOCET requires a written prescription.

When your pain prescription is filled by your pharmacy, please check carefully for the amount of acetaminophen (Tylenol) in each tablet. Tylenol is a standard part of most pain medications such as VICODIN and PERCOCET. Excessive amounts of Tylenol taken over a few days may cause liver damage / failure. The amount of Tylenol per tablet should be limited to 325mgs. At this dosage, it is safe to take up to 2 tablets every 4 hours for pain.

All narcotic medications have the potential to cause nausea and vomiting. To best prevent this problem, pain medicine should be taken with a small amount of food. Should any nausea persist despite your precaution, we can provide you with a prescription for Phenergan suppositories.

Another common side-effect of prolonged narcotic use following surgery is constipation. To avoid this problem, stay well-hydrated and eat plenty of high-fiber fruits or vegetables. Increasing your activity level with frequent walks can also be helpful. If you are prone to constipation, we recommend taking Perdiem which is available without a prescription at any drugstore. If constipation persists, try Milk of Magnesia or Dulcolax suppositories.

Be very careful not to combine alcohol and pain medication. One increases the effect of the other, making for a potentially dangerous situation. Alcohol may also make the antibiotic you are taking ineffective, increasing the risk of postoperative infection.

We recommend continuing the homeopathic treatment ARNICA MONTANA for one week following surgery. Please follow the dosage instructions listed on the packaging.