Opioids and Pain After Surgery

Things to know about pain after surgery.

• Pain after surgery is normal and is usually worse for the first 2 to 3 days after surgery.
• Your care team might recommend over-the-counter pain medicines, such as Acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or Ibuprofen (Motrin®, Advil®) for post-surgical pain, but might also prescribe an opioid for pain control.

 

What is an opioid?

• An opioid is a strong prescription medicine such as Oxycodone (Percocet®), Hydrocodone (Norco®), Hydromorphone (Dilaudid®), Fentanyl, and Morphine used to manage severe pain.

 

Know the risks of opioid use:

Opioids can slow or stop normal breathing, become habit forming, and can cause you to need larger doses to reach the same level of pain relief when taken for a long time.

Risks of opioid dependence and/or addiction:
You are at higher risk of becoming dependent or addicted to opioids if you:

• Have a history of depression or anxiety.
• Have a history of using or abusing alcohol, tobacco or drugs (including prescription or street drugs).
• Have a history of long term (chronic) pain.
• Take opioids for longer than a week.
• Take more pills, more often, than your doctor prescribed.
• While Naloxone is not for everyone, ask your doctor if it is right for you. It might be lifesaving to have on hand if you are at risk for an overdose.

 

How can I take opioids safely?

• Opioids are for your surgical pain only. Do not use your pills for any other reasons.
• As your pain gets better, take your opioid medicine less often and taper off.
• Opioids are for severe pain that is not controlled with the over-the-counter or other non-opioid prescription medicines.
• Don't use alcohol when taking opioids.
• Talk to your provider if you are on other sedating medicines.
• Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you are currently taking, including vitamins, supplements and other over-the-counter medicines.
• Your opioids are only for you. Don't share your pills with others. Diversion (sharing or selling) of opioids is a felony.
• Please talk with your doctor if you are pregnant and thinking about opioid use.

 

What are other things to try for pain relief?

• Most patients do not need or use opioids for more than a few days as they transition to acetaminophen (Tylenol) and/or ibuprofen (NSAIDs).
• Relaxation, meditation, and music can help control your pain.
• Talk to your doctor if your pain is not controlled. You are an important member of your care team!

 

What are common side effects when taking opioids?

• Some of the common, less serious side effects include nausea and/or vomiting, sleepiness, dizziness, and constipation.

 

Questions or Concerns:

• Contact your Care Team with questions during business hours:
• A consulting nurse (1-800-297-6877) is available 24 hours.

 

Safely store your opioids and dispose of any unused pills

Storage

• Safely store opioids out of reach of infants, children, teens & pets.
• Lock your pills if possible.
• Keep count of how many pills you have left.
• Don't store your opioids in places that allow easy access to your pills. (Example: bathrooms, kitchens)

 

How to use Send-away envelopes

1. Request a send-away envelope from your local KPWA pharmacy.
2. Keep your medicine in its original container and black-out or remove personal information, so it can't be read.
3. Put the container in the pre-paid postage, pre-addressed send-away envelope.
4. Drop it off at your nearest U.S. Postal Service mailbox.

 

Safe Disposal

• Don’t dispose of your unused prescription drugs in the trash or sink. Promptly dispose of unused medicines: by depositing medicines into a collection kiosk at most Western Washington Kaiser Permanente of Washington Medical Centers or other pharmacies (visit www.TakeBackYourMeds.org for local options)
• Use an approved send-away envelope. Send-away envelopes are available for members at KPWA pharmacies.
• At a Drug Take Back Day event

 

Additional Resources
kp.org: Search for "Learning about Opioids"
www.TakeBackYourMeds.org
www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose