european pain management prescription

[inferiorwit]

Hi folks!

I've got a British character getting an elective surgical procedure (mastectomy/top surgery) done in Spain. Does anybody know what kind of pain management medication he might be prescribed after the surgery, and how long he'd be expected to take it?

Thanks!

Comments

[nineveh_uk]

After some recent news stories about deaths, he's probably personally writing NO METAMIZOLE all over his notes https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/20/alarm-over-death-toll-of-britons-in-spain-linked-to-painkiller-nolotil-metazimole

[(Anonymous)]

In the US, it would be around-the-clock acetaminophen (which is called paracetamol in the UK) and an NSAID, usually ibuprofen or naproxen, with a breakthrough dose of either oxycodone or perhaps tramadol. Typically 3-5 days are needed, but everyone's different; some need more and some less.

Source: not a breast surgeon, but a trauma surgeon

[naath]

in the uk you'd be given moryhine, paracetamol is for wuh smaller pain ime, but be awaro that brexit changed everything about uk/eu treatment costs

[grayestofghosts]

I got mine done in the US so I don’t know about Spain but aside from actual “pain” medication I got prescribed all sorts of stuff, like I think I may have gotten gabapentin and a laxative because they didn’t want me straining after surgery for a while. You don’t take it for very long, though.

[voidampersand]

If they use opiates in surgery a side-effect is massive constipation.

[grayestofghosts]

I just thought it was unusual because I had never gotten so much stuff for my other surgeries which were just the standard super-tylenol and an opiate. Then again, those were leg surgeries.

[jamoche]

I broke my ankle and learned the hard way that if you taper off the opiates, taper off the laxative too.

[(Anonymous)]

what's up! I'm a Brit who got major surgery in Hungary, I was genuinely just recommended to take ibuprofen! Maybe worth noting that for a more minor procedure in the uk I was prescribed codamol (paracetamol and codeine)? I have a high pain tolerance but I think EU painkiller prescriptions are a little less generous!

[(Anonymous)]

I have had surgery with general anaesthesia in two European countries and in both I got some sort of opioid for the actual surgery while I was unconscious, but as soon as I woke up it was paracetamol and ibuprofen (or some other NSAID of my choice) spread out over the day. I took the maximum allowed daily dose for 1-2 weeks and then tapered out over several weeks.

Oxynorm was offered as a "breakthrough pain" option while I was at the hospital but I never took any, and it would have been difficult for me to get once I was discharged.

Side note: I felt so unbelievably shitty once whatever they gave me during the surgery itself wore off (nausea and itchiness) that I didn't want to take any more opioids because the side effects were worse than the pain it was supposed to relieve. The OTC meds were enough - I've had chronic pain that they do nothing for, but for surgery they work great, as long as you take the meds on time and don't wait for the pain to come back (it's harder to bring pain down than to prevent it).