I just had a root canal. Am I going to need the pain meds?

[SeattleDem]

anyone been thru this before? The gave me a prescription for Vicodin. When the numbness goes away, am I going to be in pain?

thanks!

[Bluebear]

1. I'd fill it just in case.... if it starts throbbing at 3am be prepared!

[Wickerman]

2. naw you'll be just fine - quick, here is my address before

the Novocaine wears off - you can send me those nasty vicodin and I will dispose of them for you.

No need to thank me.

[SheepyMcSheepster]

3. hmm, i had a root canal years ago when i was 14 or 15

i don't recall being given pain killers as strong as those if i got any at all. so i would say, you might not need them?

i am curious to hear what others think?

[Liberal Veteran]

Maybe...maybe not.

Post operative pain can be mild to downright painful.

Fill the meds. Better to have them on hand than not.

Vicodin is dirt cheap anyway so go for it.

[RobertSeattle]

4. Send them to Rush Limbaugh COD

[eyesroll]

5. I'd say fill the prescription unless it's going to be cost-prohibitive

It varies per person.

I've never had a root canal, but I had a fairly invasive wisdom-teeth extraction, and I was fine on a couple of advil (then again, I react poorly to most narcotics, so I only take them if the pain would be worse than the nausea and disorientation).

But it never hurts to have that prescription on hand, just in case, especially if you just have a small co-pay. You never know if you might need them.

[King Of Paperboys]

6. I got a Vicodin prescription when I strained my calf.

I toughed it out, and saved the pills for a WICKED party.

[Ready4Change]

7. Upper or lower jaw?

Root canals on upper jaws tend to involve less pain. The one I had way back when didn't make me use any painkillers once the numbness dissapeared.

But I do agree with the other comment saying to get the Vicoden anyway. You want it handy, should you need it.

[SeattleDem]

12. interesting

lower molar.

I do plan to fill the Rx. I don't mind having some Vicodin around for future headaches, nites I really can't sleep, etc...

[tandot]

8. my root canal was pure horror

it took my dentist 2 full hours to get it done. And after a couple of month, the whole tooth crumbled and had to be removed.

I guess that is exactly what you needed to hear :evilgrin:

[SeattleDem]

14. yikes! poor you!

I hope it all worked out eventually.

I was quite impressed with the speediness of it all. I only got thru the 1st two songs on the Wilco CD (Yankee Hotel, not the new one) before they were done! But today was just the draining of the infection.... more to come in a few weeks.

[BigMcLargehuge]

18. same thing happend to me

never again will I do the root canal thing. Pull the damn tooth and set me up with a bridge.

[MuseRider]

9. I didn't

but I filled them anyway but I did not get Vicodin. I think I got Percocet.

[bullimiami]

10. well thats better

than crappy tylenol 3 at least.

[MissMillie]

11. I'm remembering the West Wing first season

When CJ Cregg has a "woot-canal!" and Josh Lyman ends up completely mucking up a press "bweifing"....

priceless.

Fill the script, just in case.

[Another Bill C.]

13. I've had several

root canals. I don't recall that any of them gave me more discomfort than a regular filling.

[SeattleDem]

15. thanks, everybody - it really helps to hear from you all! n/t

[Bronco69]

16. I had a root canal about 6 months ago.

The dentist gave me a script for vicodin and I had it filled, but I didn't really need it. When the anesthetic wore off I had just a little bit of sensitivity in that area, but no major pain. I took a vicodin and the sensitivity went away and I was fine the next morning.

Edit: I gave the vicodin to a friend who has back pain but can't afford health insurance.

[LynzM]

17. Had two in the last 6 months

Needed 3 ibuprofen every 4 hours for one, for about 10 days.... The other one, one day of ibuprofen and I was fine. For the first, I would have appreciated the vicodin but didn't have a script. If it's cheap, fill it just in case!

[phatkatt]

19. Mine was no big deal

I got the meds just in case ...

Sad part was the tooth became absessed again and had to be pulled anyway. Getting the bridge sucked a hundred times more!

[Speck Tater]

20. I've had 6 root canals.

The first few times I filled the pain med script, but never used the pills. Since then I tell the dentist not to bother with the perscription.

Personally, I've never had any pain after the root canal, but your milage may vary.

[LibertyorDeath]

21. Yes I have you will need the meds

Depends on your pain tolerance & threshold but yes take the meds

[TrogL]

22. Not if they got it all

An NSAID or Tylenol may be enough. Your mileage may vary.

[jayavarman]

23. Depends on how good your Endodontist was &

how you are personally with pain.

I had one done a few years back & it was no big deal.

[Southsideirish]

25. Agreed - I took the RX for painkillers but never needed to fill it.

[Raster]

24. You will need the meds....I have had five root canals...the day after...

...was always my worst, however, take one vicodin BEFORE the anesthetic wears off. It is much easier to control pain before it erupts into full-scale throbbing agony. Take one now and then plan on taking another 4 to 6 hours from now. Be ready to dose tomorrow as necessary. Remember, pain is counterproductive.

On Edit:Even if you don't need the meds, Vicodin is a good thing to have around for other pain situations. Fill the script.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

26. You'll probably want it to help you sleep

It's hard not to focus on the throbbing at bedtime.