To help you control any pain you may have during your recovery at home ensure you have a supply of:
- Paracetamol 500mg tablets (minimum supply of 32 tablets suggested).
- Ibuprofen 200mg or 400mg tablets (minimum supply of 24 tablets suggested).
Where do I get paracetamol and ibuprofen from?
You can buy supplies from your supermarket or pharmacy.
Please inform your nurse if you have no paracetamol or ibuprofen available at home before discharge.
How to take your medicines
All painkillers work best if taken early, so that they prevent the pain from occurring rather than treating pain once it has already occurred.
In the first few days after surgery take your painkillers regularly even if you are not in pain.
If you were taking painkillers regularly before surgery, you may need to carry on taking the same amount of painkillers after surgery. Please speak to the doctor, nurse or ask your pharmacist. As you recover from surgery slowly reduce the number of tablets you are taking.
When to start taking your painkillers
Your nurse will tell you when to start taking your painkillers on return home.
Paracetamol is a good painkiller for preventing and treating mild pain. You can take TWO tablets every 4-6 hours – but no more than 8 tablets in 24 hours.
Never take other medicine containing paracetamol at the same time. This includes medicines bought from your pharmacy or supermarket.
If you are unsure check the leaflet inside the package or ask your pharmacist.
Ibuprofen is a strong anti-inflammatory painkiller. You can take ONE (400mg) tablet or TWO (200mg) tablets up to three times a day. It is important to take ibuprofen with or after food.
Never take other medicines containing ibuprofen or any other anti-inflammatory arthritis medicines at the same time as ibuprofen. This includes medicines bought from your pharmacy or supermarket.
If you are unsure check the leaflet inside the package or ask your pharmacist.
Side effects include:
- Indigestion or stomach
- Can make asthma
If you get side effects please stop taking ibuprofen.