C. Noel Henley, MD

Hand and Upper Extremity Specialist

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How To Minimize Post-Surgical Pain And Take Fewer Narcotics

PROTOCOL (see the flowchart below for a summary)

  1. Read this article and ask pain-related questions BEFORE surgery
  2. On the morning of surgery, prior to coming into the surgery center or hospital, take one Tylenol Arthritis pill (650mg).
  3. Also on the morning of surgery, take EITHER 400mg of Celebrex (2 pills) OR one Aleve.
  4. Starting on the day after the surgery, take Celebrex 200mg (1 pill) OR one Aleve once per day in the morning with something to eat.
  5. Also on the day after the surgery, take one Tylenol Arthritis pill according to the bottle directions. You can take up to 4000mg of Tylenol TOTAL (including narcotic pills, which have Tylenol in them) per day.
  6. I’ve attached a flowchart to these instructions that should make this easier – take a look!
  7. Take narcotic pills according to the directions on the bottle. Most patients only need 5 or 6 pills total after surgery.
  8. Keep your operated hand and arm above your heart as much as possible for the first two days after surgery. This keeps swelling and pain to a minimum and can be as effective as taking medicine.

WARNINGS AND MORE DETAILS

  1. Ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin, aspirin, and extra-strength Tylenol are not long-acting anti-inflammatory medications – these don’t work as well as the Tylenol Arthritis or the Aleve.
  2. Tylenol and acetaminophen are the same thing – you’ll see acetaminophen or “APAP” on the narcotic pain pill bottle. This is the drug you can only take 4000mg of per day.
  3. Celebrex is prescription-only. Ask me if I have samples. You can take Aleve as an alternative, which you can buy at the store. If you take Celebrex, you’ll need 2 pills for the morning of surgery, and four pills (one per day) after the day of surgery.
  4. On the morning of surgery, take each pill with a small sip of water.
  5. Caffeine can interfere with the action of acetaminophen (the drug in Tylenol), so you should try to avoid any caffeine for a day or so.

EDUCATION PAGES

click on the links below to start learning:

  • arthritis: base of the thumb
  • arthritis: osteoarthritis
  • carpal tunnel syndrome
  • trigger finger
  • ganglion cysts
  • tennis elbow (epicondylitis)
  • wrist fractures
  • cubital tunnel syndrome
  • deQuervain's tendonitis
  • elbow fractures
  • olecranon bursitis
  • fingertip injuries
  • hand fractures

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT

Call our office today at 479-521-2752 to make an appointment with Dr. Henley

Featured Articles

Mallet Finger Injury

“my finger doesn’t work”“my finger is bent”“my finger won’t straighten”“my finger is drooped” These are several of the most common things I hear when patients come in with a mallet finger.  A mallet finger is the name for a ruptured (torn) tendon at the tip of the finger. A tendon rupture is where a tendon […]

Bad Thumb Arthritis – What Does It Look Like?

The video below shows a patient’s thumb moving back and forth. As you’ll see, most of the range of motion is at the MP (metacarpophalangeal) joint. This is abnormal – in a normal thumb, the majority of the motion is through the CMC (carpometacarpal joint, at the base of the thumb). When the CMC joint […]

Forearm Fractures In Kids – What Parents Need To Know

Bones in children are different from bones in adults. They break differently and they respond differently to injury. Some fractures occur both in adults and kids – some fractures occur only in children. Forearm fractures occur in both, with some important differences. This article will cover some of the basics of forearm fractures in kids. […]

Fingertip Ganglion Cysts – Mucous Cysts

The most common tumor in the finger is a ganglion cyst. A ganglion cyst is simply a fluid-filled sac. It can be visible from the outside or buried deep underneath the skin. Sometimes it causes symptoms like soreness and pain; other times patients have no idea it’s there. What is a mucous cyst? Ganglion cysts […]

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