I’m having pain so why doesnt he just give me better pain medication?

Somepain after surgeryis expected.

There are several reasons thatpain medicationis given with the intention of reducing pain, not eliminating pain.

Girl lying on couch with water bottle on stomach

Ulrike Schmitt-Hartmann / Getty Images

It is possible to give too much pain medication.

It can interfere with your breathing and can cause sedation beyond what is safe .

More pain medication can mean more severe constipation.

Why Some Pain Can Be Beneficial

In some ways, pain protects you.

If something hurts, you generally stop doing whatever is causing the pain and investigate.

If you didnt feel that pain, you would not know that there was a problem.

The same is true after surgery.

Are you taking the medication you were prescribed the way you were told to take it?

If so, taking your medication as it was prescribed could make a huge difference in how you feel.

Are you following the other instructions you were given?

Have you been following those recommendations during your recovery?

If you have been following your discharge instructions, great!

Benyamin R, Trescot AM, Datta S, et al.Opioid complications and side effects.Pain Physician.

2008;11(2 Suppl):S105-20.

Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Pain after surgery.InformedHealth.org