How to Know When to Ask for Pain Medications After a Mastectomy

After a mastectomy, there will be a period of recovery time in which you will feel some pain and discomfort. The amount of pain will depend on your activity after the mastectomy and your pain tolerance. To help relieve some of the post-mastectomy discomfort you will need to know when to ask for pain medications.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Know your pain tolerance. Everyone’s pain tolerance is different. Some people can withstand a lot more discomfort than others without the need of pain medications. Understanding your level of discomfort will help you know when to ask for pain medication.

2. Decide if the pain interferes with your daily routine. Your post-mastectomy surgery routine will not consist of a whole lot--mainly rest. Once you get up and move around, you should ask for pain medication if the discomfort makes it hard for you to function normally.

3. Try over the counter medications first. If you can get by with medications such as Tylenol you will be better off than if you take a prescription pain medication that can cause drowsiness. Ask for pain medications if over the counter pain medicines don’t control the pain.

4. Your doctor will prescribe pain medication for you after a mastectomy. Take the medication as prescribed to help alleviate the pain. If you stop taking the prescribed medication you may learn the pain is worse than you thought it would be.

5. Speak to your pharmacist about how to take pain medications correctly.

Tips & Warnings

• Take over the counter pain medications that are approved for post-mastectomy surgery. Aspirin thins the blood and could cause complications. Use approved pain killers like Tylenol to relieve the pain.
• Take the prescribed dose of pain medication.
• Don’t take prescription pain medication that is not prescribed to you. This can be dangerous and is illegal.
• Be careful when using prescription pain medication. Many are addictive.

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