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Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Excellent article from MayoClinic.com You don't have to suffer through severe pain after surgery. Modern pain medications and anesthesia can control post-surgical pain and help your body heal. If you're scheduled for surgery, it's natural to have concerns — or even fears — about the pain following the procedure. Although some pain is likely, you don't have to endure severe pain after any surgery. In fact, your nurses and doctors consider effective pain management a key part of your recovery, because well-controlled pain can speed your healing and lead to fewer complications. The best treatment for post-surgical pain requires a careful balance between benefits and risks. If your pain medication is too strong, you may have side effects, such as sleepiness, nausea or vomiting. But if your pain medication is too weak, you may suffer unnecessary pain. The goal is finding the right balance for you at each point during the procedure and during your recovery. Plan now for post-surgical pain relief The time to talk about post-surgical pain relief isn't after surgery. Here's how to start: Discuss previous experiences with pain. - Before surgery, talk to your doctor about your experience with different methods of pain control. Mention what worked for you and what didn't.
Talk about chronic pain. -If you have chronic pain, you'll likely have to deal with that pain, in addition to the post-surgical pain. And your body may be less sensitive to pain medication — a phenomenon called tolerance — if you're taking medications for chronic pain. Discuss this in detail with your doctor before surgery.
Be honest about your alcohol and drug use. -Tell your doctor if you are a recovering alcoholic or drug abuser. If so, you can plan for pain control that minimizes the risks of relapse. If you're currently abusing alcohol or drugs — even legal drugs, such as benzodiazepines — let your doctor know. Withdrawing from these substances can be difficult, and the post-surgical period is not the time to try it.
Make a list of your medications. -Include all prescription and over-the-counter medications, plus any supplements or herbs you've taken in the past month. Your doctor needs to know about anything that might interact with post-surgical pain medications. Be sure to list any pain pills you take on a regular basis, because your body may be tolerant to their effects and require higher than usual doses to achieve adequate pain control. In most cases, you can take your regular medications with a sip of water on the morning of your procedure, but confirm this with your doctor.
Ask questions. -Find out how severe the pain typically is after this type of surgery, and how long it lasts. What kind of pain medications will be given before and after surgery? What are the possible side effects of these medications? What can be done to minimize side effects? After surgery, you'll need to communicate with your doctors and nurses. Controlling your pain is important to them, too.
Be honest about the pain you feel after surgery. -Let your doctors and nurses know how much it hurts and where it hurts. Pain often changes through the day and night, and with activity. Your medical team may ask you to rank your pain on a scale of 0 to 10, with zero meaning no pain and 10 being the worst pain you can imagine. Don't downplay what you're feeling. Your honesty will help control your pain. The more specific you can be, the better your doctors can help you.
Don't ignore side effects.-Tell your care team if you experience sleepiness, constipation, nausea or other side effects of the medications. A different pain medication or dose can sometimes reduce uncomfortable side effects. Postoperative pain control usually involves a succession of different medications and routes of administration — beginning with the most intense efforts to relieve pain during and right after surgery and moving to less-powerful, oral medications by the time you go home. Of course, if you undergo major surgery — such as chest surgery, abdominal surgery or joint replacement — your recovery will probably start at the top of the list of pain relief options. For minor operations — such as dental work or skin lesion removals — you'll likely skip the most potent strategies and start somewhere in the middle. What follows are some of the most common options.
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FOR THE COMPLETE ARTICLE CLICK HERE  This was found at www.rsdhope.org website where there is alot of information on rsd | 
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